Storage device for liquefied gas

Abstract

The invention relates to a storage installation (1) comprising a support structure (2) and a tank (71), a top wall (4) being locally interrupted to delimit a loading / unloading opening (7), wherein a primary thermal insulation barrier (12) of the top wall (4) comprises a primary end insulation block (39) and a primary insulation panel, the primary end insulation block having a higher rigidity in the thickness direction than the primary insulation panel, wherein the storage installation comprises at least two fastening supports (26), each fastening support (26) comprising a foot (30) and a cover (29), wherein the primary end insulation block is positioned in alignment with a first portion of one of the fastening supports and fastened to the cover by first anchoring means, and the primary insulation panel extends in a manner aligned with a second portion of the fastening support, the primary insulation panel being fastened to the cover by second anchoring means.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of storage equipment for liquefied gases, comprising sealed and thermally insulated tanks with sealing membranes. In particular, this invention relates to the field of sealed and thermally insulated tanks for storing and / or transporting liquefied gases at cryogenic temperatures, such as tanks for transporting liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) at temperatures between, for example, -50°C and 0°C, or tanks for transporting liquefied natural gas (LNG) at atmospheric pressure at approximately -162°C. These tanks can be installed on land or on floating structures. In the case of floating structures, the tanks can be used to transport liquefied gases or to receive liquefied gases used as fuel for propulsion of the floating structure. Background Technology

[0002] A sealed and thermally insulated tank, incorporated into a ship's support structure, is known from prior art, such as WO2019234360. This sealed and thermally insulated tank includes a secondary thermal barrier, a secondary sealing membrane, a primary thermal barrier, and a primary sealing membrane. The tank comprises multiple tank walls assembled to each other. The secondary sealing membrane comprises multiple parallel rows of plates. Each row of plates includes a planar central portion extending in a first direction and two raised edges disposed on corresponding opposite sides of the planar central portion and projecting toward the interior of the tank relative to the central portion. Thus, the rows of plates are juxtaposed in a repeating pattern in a second direction and welded together at the level of the raised edges. Unlike corrugated membranes, this secondary sealing membrane, commonly referred to as a tension membrane, does not have a region capable of absorbing tension and compressive forces in the first direction.

[0003] In this type of structure, the secondary sealing membrane is interrupted at the level of the opening to allow, for example, loading / unloading pipes to pass through it. Thus, the secondary sealing membrane terminates at these interrupted levels and is directly connected to the supporting structure to withstand, in particular, the tensile and compressive forces caused by the thermal shrinkage of the sealing membrane, the deformation of the linked hull leading to bending of the hull beams, and the filling state of the tank.

[0004] Reference KR20200144178 describes the tank wall at the level of the interruption formed by this liquid dome. Summary of the Invention

[0005] One of the ideas behind this invention is to design a support near the opening of a primary sealing membrane.

[0006] Another idea behind this invention is to simplify the assembly of the primary thermal insulation barrier.

[0007] According to one embodiment, the present invention provides a storage device for liquefied gases, the storage device comprising a metal support structure and a sealed and thermally insulated tank disposed within the support structure.

[0008] The tank, in its thickness direction from the outside to the inside, includes: a secondary thermal insulation barrier fixed to a supporting structure; a metallic secondary sealing membrane disposed on the secondary thermal insulation barrier; a primary thermal insulation barrier disposed on the secondary sealing membrane; and a primary sealing membrane disposed on the primary thermal insulation barrier and for contacting the liquefied gas.

[0009] The supporting structure includes an upper supporting wall.

[0010] The tank includes a top wall fixed to the upper support wall.

[0011] The top wall is partially interrupted to define a loading / unloading opening for loading / unloading pipes to pass through.

[0012] The secondary thermal insulation barrier of the top wall includes an edge secondary insulation block adjacent to the edge of the loading / unloading opening and a secondary insulation panel juxtaposed with the edge secondary insulation block along a first direction, the edge extending along a second direction, the first direction being perpendicular to the second direction.

[0013] The primary thermal insulation barrier of the top wall includes an edge primary insulation block adjacent to the edge of the loading / unloading opening and a primary insulation panel juxtaposed with the edge primary insulation block along a first direction. The edge primary insulation block has higher stiffness in the thickness direction than the primary insulation panel.

[0014] The storage device includes multiple secondary metal fixing supports, which are fixed to an upper support wall along the edge of the loading / unloading opening and located on corresponding opposite sides of the edge secondary isolation block in a second direction. Each secondary fixing support includes a secondary foot and a secondary cover fixed to the secondary foot. The secondary foot has a seating length extending in a first direction.

[0015] The primary edge isolation block is aligned with the first part of one of the secondary fixed supports and fixed to the secondary cover of the secondary fixed support by a first anchoring device. The primary isolation panel extends in alignment with the second part of the secondary fixed support (26), the second part being adjacent to the first part in a first direction. The primary isolation panel is fixed to the secondary cover by a second anchoring device.

[0016] Due to these characteristics, the support of the manufactured primary sealing membrane has a limited stepped appearance, caused by the difference in thermal shrinkage in the thickness direction between the various portions of the top wall. In fact, the secondary fixing support is covered by edge primary insulating blocks and primary insulating panels, which have different stiffnesses, thus creating a transition zone between the portion of the top wall including only the insulating panels and the top portion of the top wall formed by the secondary fixing support covered by the edge primary insulating blocks. Furthermore, the anchoring of the primary insulating panels is advantageous because they are directly anchored to the secondary cover.

[0017] Implementations of this type of storage device may include one or more of the following features.

[0018] According to one embodiment, the secondary thermal insulation barrier includes a secondary stop plate disposed on an edge secondary insulation block, and the edge portion of the secondary sealing film is fixed to the secondary stop plate.

[0019] According to one embodiment, the secondary sealing membrane of the top wall includes a plurality of parallel columns of plates extending in a first direction, each column of plates including a planar central portion and two raised edges protruding toward the interior of the tank relative to the central portion, the columns of plates being juxtaposed in a repeating pattern in a second direction and welded together in a sealing manner at the level of the raised edges, at least one of the columns of plates being interrupted by a loading / unloading opening.

[0020] According to one embodiment, the edge portion of the interrupted column plate is fixed to a secondary stop plate.

[0021] According to one embodiment, the edge primary insulating block is in the form of a box-shaped component, which includes a bottom plate, a cover plate parallel to the bottom plate, and a support spacer plate that keeps the cover plate and the bottom plate spaced apart. The box-shaped component is filled with insulating filler, such as perlite, pyrolytic silica, silica aerogel, or glass wool.

[0022] According to one embodiment, the primary insulation panel successively includes at least one insulating foam layer and at least one rigid plate along its thickness direction. For example, the primary thermal insulation panel includes a thermal insulation foam layer located between a bottom plate and a cover plate.

[0023] According to one embodiment, the insulating foam is a polymer foam, such as polyurethane foam. According to one embodiment, the insulating foam has a density greater than 100 kg / m³. 3 Preferably, it is greater than or equal to 120 kg / m 3 Specifically equal to 130 kg / m 3 Or 150kg / m 3 Or 210kg / m 3 .

[0024] According to one embodiment, the structural insulation foam is a reinforced foam, such as a foam reinforced with fibers, such as glass fibers.

[0025] According to one embodiment, the bottom panel is plywood or a composite material panel including glass fiber. According to one embodiment, the cover panel is a plywood panel or a composite material panel including glass fiber.

[0026] According to the embodiment, the coefficient of thermal shrinkage of the edge primary insulating block in the thickness direction is less than that of the primary insulating panel in the thickness direction.

[0027] According to one embodiment, the edge primary isolation block has a parallelepiped shape and includes two side portions perpendicular to a second direction, at least one of the side portions being fixed to a secondary cover of a secondary fixing support by a first anchoring device.

[0028] According to one embodiment, the dimension of the edge primary isolation block in the second direction is equal to the distance between two adjacent secondary fixed supports, and the two side portions of the edge primary isolation block are respectively fixed to the secondary caps of the two fixed supports by two first anchoring devices.

[0029] According to one embodiment, the edge primary barrier includes a support surface, and the first anchoring device includes: a base fixed to a secondary cover; a column fixed to the base and extending in the thickness direction and passing through an opening in the secondary sealing membrane in a sealing manner; and a support member mounted on the column and supported on the support surface of the edge primary barrier to hold the edge primary barrier on the secondary fixed support.

[0030] According to one embodiment, at least one side of the edge primary isolation block includes a protrusion, and the bearing surface is formed on the protrusion.

[0031] According to one embodiment, the primary insulating panel includes a support surface, and the second anchoring device includes: a base fixed to a secondary cover; a column fixed to the base and extending in the thickness direction and passing through an opening in the secondary sealing membrane in a sealing manner; and a support element mounted on the column and supported on the support surface of the primary insulating panel to hold the primary insulating panel on the secondary fixing support.

[0032] According to one embodiment, the support surface of the primary insulating panel is located at the same level as or spaced apart from the corner of the primary insulating panel.

[0033] According to one embodiment, the first anchoring device and / or the second anchoring device further includes a flange forming an integral portion of the column, the flange projecting radially toward the outside of the column and securing it to the secondary sealing membrane in a sealing manner around an opening in the secondary sealing membrane.

[0034] According to one embodiment, the first anchoring device and / or the second anchoring device further includes: a flange that engages with the column and is sealed to the secondary sealing membrane in a sealing manner around an opening in the secondary sealing membrane; and a deformable seal that seals the flange to the column in a sealing manner, thereby allowing relative movement between the flange and the column.

[0035] According to one embodiment, the distance between the joint between the edge secondary isolation block and the secondary isolation panel and the edge of the loading / unloading opening in the first direction is greater than the distance between the joint between the edge primary isolation block and the primary isolation panel and the edge of the loading / unloading opening in the first direction.

[0036] According to one embodiment, the first anchoring device and the second anchoring device are formed in the same manner, and the first anchoring device and the second anchoring device are spaced apart from each other in a first direction.

[0037] According to one embodiment, the storage device includes a connecting angle iron extending in a second direction to seal a secondary thermal insulation barrier from a loading / unloading opening. The connecting angle iron includes a first flange and a second flange connected to the first flange. The first flange is fixed to a secondary stop plate, and the second flange is welded to an anchoring flat member fastened to an upper support wall.

[0038] According to one embodiment, the secondary panel is spaced apart from the anchoring flat member in a first direction. Preferably, the secondary panel is spaced apart from the anchoring flat member by a distance greater than or equal to 15 mm in the first direction. More preferably, the secondary panel is spaced apart from the anchoring flat member by a distance greater than or equal to 20 mm in the first direction.

[0039] According to one embodiment, the secondary thermal insulation barrier includes an edge secondary insulation block and a secondary insulation panel, wherein the secondary insulation panel adjacent to the edge secondary insulation block in a first direction has a structure different from the other secondary insulation panels, for example, thus having greater stiffness or a lower coefficient of thermal shrinkage in the thickness direction than the other secondary insulation panels.

[0040] According to one embodiment, a secondary metal fixing plate is fixed to the upper surface of a secondary stop plate, and the edge portion of the column plate or the loading / unloading opening of each column plate is welded to the secondary metal fixing plate.

[0041] According to one embodiment, the secondary metal fixing plate is made of an alloy of iron and nickel, such as Invar alloy, or an alloy of iron and manganese or stainless steel.

[0042] According to one embodiment, the deformable seal includes a deformable corrugated member that is hollow and extends axially around a column. The deformable corrugated member is, for example, made of stainless steel.

[0043] According to one embodiment, the first anchoring device and / or the second anchoring device includes a bell-shaped member covering a deformable corrugated member, the bell-shaped member having a cylindrical shape.

[0044] According to one embodiment, the base of the first anchoring device and / or the second anchoring device is screwed or welded to the secondary cover of the secondary fixing support.

[0045] According to one embodiment, the seating length of the secondary support portion in the first direction is greater than or equal to 300 mm.

[0046] The primary sealing membrane can be produced in a variety of ways. According to one embodiment, the primary sealing membrane of the top wall includes a plurality of corrugated metal plates juxtaposed and welded to each other along a first direction and a second direction, the primary sealing membrane including a first series of corrugated elements extending along the first direction and a second series of corrugated elements extending along the second direction.

[0047] According to one embodiment, the spacing between two adjacent secondary fixed supports in the second direction is equal to an integer multiple of the dimension of the column plate in the second direction, for example, equal to the dimension of the column plate in the second direction.

[0048] According to one embodiment, the dimension of the column plate in the second direction is equal to 510 mm.

[0049] According to one embodiment, the thickness of the edge portion of the column plate or each column plate welded to the secondary fixing plate of the metal is greater than the thickness of the column plate at a certain distance from the loading / unloading opening.

[0050] Thickness is a dimension measured in the thickness direction, that is, in the direction perpendicular to the first and second directions.

[0051] According to one embodiment, the thickness of the edge portion is greater than or equal to 1.5 mm. The thickness of the column plate at a certain distance from the edge can be less than 1 mm, for example, between 0.7 mm and 1 mm (inclusive).

[0052] According to one embodiment, the tank includes a cover disposed in a loading / unloading opening, the cover including a metal sealing wall and a thermal insulation structure located between a top wall and an upper support wall, the cover being fixed to the upper support wall, the metal sealing wall being connected to a primary sealing membrane in a sealed manner via a metal connecting strip.

[0053] According to one embodiment, the thermal insulation structure of the cover includes a plurality of cover insulation blocks, each cover insulation block being in the form of a box-shaped member. The box-shaped member includes a cover plate and a bottom plate held at a certain distance by a support spacer, as well as a side portion of the box-shaped member, and the box-shaped member is filled with insulation filler.

[0054] According to one embodiment, the structure of the cover insulating block and the structure of the edge primary insulating block and / or the edge secondary insulating block are the same. For example, each edge primary insulating block cover insulating block is in the form of a plywood box or a box made of a composite material with glass fiber.

[0055] Therefore, the thermal shrinkage in the thickness direction is basically close to or the same as the thermal shrinkage between the insulating block of the cover and the insulating block forming the periphery of the opening, thus limiting the step phenomenon in this region.

[0056] According to one embodiment, the secondary sealing membrane, the top wall of the cover, and / or the connecting strip are made of a metal with a low coefficient of thermal expansion, for example, a coefficient of thermal expansion between 0.5 × 10⁻⁶. -6 K -1 and 2×10 -6 K -1 (including 0.5×10) -6 K -1 and 2×10 -6 K -1 An alloy of iron and nickel, somewhere in between. An alloy of iron and manganese can also be used, with a coefficient of thermal expansion typically around 7 × 10⁻⁶. -6 K -1 .

[0057] According to one embodiment, the secondary fixing support is made of steel, such as carbon steel or stainless steel.

[0058] According to one embodiment, the secondary sealing membrane is made of stainless steel.

[0059] According to one embodiment, the support structure includes a rear cofferdam wall and a front cofferdam wall located on corresponding opposite sides of the tank in a first direction, with a loading / unloading opening formed near one of the cofferdam walls, such as the rear cofferdam wall, and a secondary fixed support arranged between the opening and the other cofferdam wall, such as the front cofferdam wall.

[0060] Therefore, the secondary fixed support and secondary stop beam are able to absorb most of the tension and pressure in the secondary sealing membrane of the top wall—that is, the part extending between the opening and the front cofferdam wall.

[0061] According to one embodiment, the edge of the loading / unloading opening along which the secondary fixed support is juxtaposed is the edge of the loading / unloading opening located at the front longitudinal end in a first direction between the opening and the front cofferdam wall.

[0062] Such storage facilities can be land-based storage facilities, such as those used for storing LNG, or coastal or deep-water floating structures, particularly methane tankers, floating storage and regasification units (FSRUs), floating production storage and offloading units (FPSOs), etc. These units can also be used as fuel tanks for any type of vessel.

[0063] According to one embodiment, the aforementioned storage device adopts a floating structure, the support structure comprising a double shell of the floating structure, and the first direction is the longitudinal direction of the floating structure.

[0064] According to one implementation, the floating structure is a vessel used to transport cold liquid products.

[0065] According to one embodiment, the present invention also provides a transfer system for cold liquid products, the system comprising: the aforementioned storage device; an isolation conduit configured to connect a tank installed in the hull of a ship to an external floating or land-based storage device; and a pump configured to drive a flow of cold liquid products from the external floating or land-based storage device through the isolation conduit to the tank of the ship, or, alternatively, to drive a flow of cold liquid products from the tank of the ship through the isolation conduit to the external floating or land-based storage device.

[0066] According to one embodiment, the present invention also provides a method for loading or unloading the aforementioned storage device, wherein cold liquid products are guided from an external floating or land-based storage device to a tank on a ship via insulated pipes, or cold liquid products are guided from a tank on a ship to an external floating or land-based storage device via insulated pipes. Attached Figure Description

[0067] The invention will be more readily understood in the following description of specific embodiments of the invention given by way of non-limiting description, with reference only to the accompanying drawings, and other objects, details, features and advantages of the invention will become clearer.

[0068] [ Figure 1 ] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a ship including storage equipment.

[0069] [ Figure 2 ] Figure 2 This is a partial perspective view of the interior of the top wall in the region near the loading / unloading opening of the tank, according to the first embodiment, the view corresponding to... Figure 1 Details II.

[0070] [ Figure 3 ] Figure 3 This is a partial side view of the top wall near the front longitudinal edge in the second embodiment.

[0071] [ Figure 4 ] Figure 4 It is a partial perspective view of the secondary fixed support component including the first anchoring device and the second anchoring device.

[0072] [ Figure 5 ] Figure 5 This is a partial perspective view of an anchoring device according to another embodiment.

[0073] [ Figure 6 ] Figure 6 This is a partial side view of the top wall near the front longitudinal end according to the third embodiment.

[0074] [ Figure 7 ] Figure 7 This is a partial side view of the top wall near the front longitudinal end according to the fourth embodiment.

[0075] [ Figure 8 ] Figure 8 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the methane tanker's tank and the dock used for loading / unloading the tank. Detailed Implementation

[0076] By convention, "upper" or "above" or "upper part" refers to a location closer to the interior of the tank, while "lower" or "below" or "lower part" refers to a location closer to the supporting structure, regardless of the orientation of the tank walls relative to the Earth's gravitational field. Therefore, Figures 2 to 7 It is represented by an inverted orientation relative to the actual position of the supporting structure and tank wall in the storage device.

[0077] Figure 1 This refers to a methane tanker vessel 70 used for storing and transporting liquefied gases. However, the invention is not limited to this type of vessel.

[0078] Figure 1The vessel 70 shown includes a storage facility 1 comprising four tanks 71, which are housed in and fixed to a support structure 2 formed by the vessel's internal hull. Each tank 71 is polyhedral in shape and includes multiple tank walls assembled to each other to form an internal space 3, specifically a top wall 4, an aft cofferdam wall 5, and a forward cofferdam wall 6. The forward cofferdam wall 6 and the aft cofferdam wall 5 are spaced apart in the longitudinal direction L of the vessel 70 and fixed to the top wall 4 in their upper portions. For loading and unloading these tanks 71, loading / unloading openings 7 are formed in the top wall 4 for loading / unloading pipes to pass through, which can be fastened to a structure not shown. The top wall 4 is fixed to an upper support wall 8 of the support structure 2. The upper support wall 8 also has orifices allowing the loading / unloading pipes to pass through the support structure 2.

[0079] Loading / unloading opening 7 serves as a penetration point for various equipment used to process LNG, such as filling lines, emergency pumping lines, unloading lines connected to unloading pumps, injection lines, and supply lines connected to injection pumps. The operation of these devices is known in itself.

[0080] The loading / unloading opening 7 is located in the top wall 4 near the rear cofferdam wall 5.

[0081] Figure 2 A perspective view of the top wall 4 in the region near the loading / unloading opening 7 from the interior of the tank, according to the first embodiment, is shown.

[0082] The multi-layered structure of the top wall 4 will be described in more detail below.

[0083] The top wall 4 of the sealed and thermally insulated tank 71 for storing liquefied gases such as liquefied natural gas (LNG) comprises, in the thickness direction from the outside to the inside of the tank, a multi-layered structure including: a secondary thermal barrier 10 held on an upper support wall 8; a secondary sealing membrane 11 resting on the secondary thermal barrier 10; a primary thermal barrier 12 resting on the secondary sealing membrane 11; and a primary sealing membrane 13 resting on the primary thermal barrier 12 and intended to contact the liquefied natural gas contained in the tank 71.

[0084] The secondary thermal insulation barrier 10 includes a plurality of secondary insulation panels 14, which are anchored to the upper support wall 8 by anchoring devices 9. The secondary insulation panels 14 have a generally parallelepiped shape and are arranged in parallel rows, for example, in the longitudinal direction L and the transverse direction T, with the transverse direction T perpendicular to the longitudinal direction L.

[0085] The secondary sealing membrane 11 of the top wall 4 comprises a continuous layer of metal plates with raised edges. Each plate includes a planar central portion resting on a secondary insulation panel 14 of the secondary thermal insulation barrier 10, and further includes two raised edges disposed on corresponding opposite sides of the planar central portion in the transverse direction T and projecting toward the interior of the tank relative to the central portion. The plate is welded via its raised edges to parallel weld supports, which are fixed in grooves formed at a horizontal level on the surface of the secondary insulation panel 14 in contact with the secondary sealing membrane 11. The plate is, for example, made of… Made of: That is, made of an alloy of iron and nickel, with a coefficient of thermal expansion typically around 1.2 × 10⁻⁶. -6 K -1 With 2×10 -6 K -1 Between (including 1.2×10) -6 and 2×10 -6 ).

[0086] exist Figure 2 As can be seen, the primary thermal insulation barrier 12 of the top wall 4 includes multiple primary insulation panels 18, which are anchored to the secondary insulation panels 14 by fixing devices 9. The primary insulation panels 18 have a generally parallelepiped shape. Furthermore, the primary insulation panels 18 may have dimensions that are substantially the same as or different from those of the secondary insulation panels 14. Figure 2 In the embodiment shown, the primary insulating panel 18 is positioned offset relative to the secondary insulating block 14 in the longitudinal direction L—and optionally also in the transverse direction T.

[0087] exist Figure 4 In the illustrated embodiment, the secondary insulating panel 14 and the primary insulating panel 18 specifically include a bottom plate 15, a cover plate 16, and one or more layers of insulating polymer foam 17, which are sandwiched between and attached to the bottom plate 15 and the cover plate 16. The insulating polymer foam 17 may be, in particular, a polyurethane-based foam, and optionally reinforced with fibers, especially glass fibers.

[0088] exist Figure 2In the illustrated embodiment, the secondary insulation panel 14 of the secondary thermal insulation barrier 10 includes at least two different types of structures, such as the aforementioned structures and a box-shaped structure including a bottom plate 15, a cover plate 16, and a supporting spacer plate extending along the thickness direction between the bottom plate 15 and the cover plate 16 and defining a plurality of compartments filled with insulating fillers such as perlite, glass, or rock wool. These different structures are selected according to their location in the tank. In an embodiment not shown, the primary insulation panel 18 may also include at least two different types of structures. An example of such a structure is provided in publication WO-A-2019077253.

[0089] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the primary sealing membrane 13 includes a plurality of corrugated metal plates, which are juxtaposed and welded to each other in the longitudinal direction L and the transverse direction T. The primary sealing membrane 13 includes a first series of corrugated elements 27 extending in the longitudinal direction L and a second series of corrugated elements 28 extending in the transverse direction T.

[0090] To define the loading / unloading opening 7, the top wall 4 is partially interrupted to allow the loading / unloading pipe to pass through the opening. Therefore, the sealing membranes 11, 13 and the thermal insulation barriers 10, 12 are interrupted around the loading / unloading opening 7, as... Figure 2 As shown.

[0091] To ensure continuity of sealing and isolation at the opening level, tank 71 includes a cover 19 disposed in the loading / unloading opening 7. Cover 19 includes a metal sealing wall 20 and a thermal insulation structure 21 located between the metal sealing wall 20 and the upper support wall 8. Cover 19 is fixed to the upper support wall 8. The metal sealing wall 20 ensures continuity of the seal with the primary sealing membrane 13 of the top wall 4, while the thermal insulation structure 21 ensures continuity of isolation.

[0092] The thermal insulation structure 21 may include one or more cover insulation blocks 22, which may be, for example, in the form of a box-like component comprising a bottom plate, a cover plate, and a support spacer plate. The support spacer plate extends in the thickness direction between the bottom plate and the cover plate and defines a plurality of compartments filled with insulating filler such as perlite, glass, or rock wool. One or more cover insulation blocks 22 may include through-holes (not shown) that allow loading / unloading pipes to pass through one or more cover insulation blocks.

[0093] The sealing wall 20 of the cover 19 comprises, for example, multiple planar metal plates welded to each other. The sealing wall 20 also includes multiple cover orifices (not shown) for allowing loading / unloading pipes to pass through the sealing wall 20. The storage device 1 also includes a metal connecting strip 24 that enables a sealing connection between the sealing wall 20 of the cover and the primary sealing membrane 13 of the top wall 4, such as... Figure 2 It can be seen in the image.

[0094] If the primary sealing membrane 13 is connected to the sealing wall 20 of the cover 19 at the level of the loading / unloading opening 7, then the secondary sealing membrane 11, in itself, is interrupted at the level of the edge of the loading / unloading opening 7 and is directly connected in a sealing manner to the upper support wall 8 to seal the gap between the secondary thermal insulation barrier 10 and the cover 19. This connection is accomplished by a secondary connecting angle iron 36, which includes a first primary flange 37 and a second primary flange 38 connected to the first primary flange 37. The first primary flange 37 is connected to the secondary sealing membrane 11, and the second primary flange 38 is welded to an anchoring flat member 69 fastened to the upper support wall 8, specifically as follows: Figure 3 As shown. Therefore, some of the plates of the secondary sealing membrane 11 are interrupted by the opening 7 and connected to the upper support wall 8.

[0095] At the level of this connection with the upper support wall 8, the secondary sealing membrane 11 is able to transmit the compressive and tensile forces associated with its operation to the secondary connecting angle iron 36. These forces are particularly high at the level of edge 25 at the forward longitudinal end of the loading / unloading opening 7, which is the edge of the loading / unloading opening 7 in the longitudinal direction L between the cover 19 and the forward cofferdam wall 6. In fact, because the cover 19 is placed close to the aft cofferdam wall 5, the longitudinal dimension of the secondary sealing membrane 11 between the cover 19 and the forward cofferdam wall 6 is much larger than that between the cover 19 and the forward cofferdam wall 6, resulting in a large force at the level of edge 25 at the forward longitudinal end during hull deformation or thermal contraction. Furthermore, these forces are particularly high at edge 25 at the forward longitudinal end due to the orientation of the secondary sealing membrane 11. In fact, the secondary sealing membrane 11 is oriented such that the central portion of the planar plate extends in the longitudinal direction L of the vessel 70. Therefore, no area is provided in this direction capable of absorbing tensile and compressive forces.

[0096] To alleviate the welding of the secondary connecting angle iron 36 and the secondary sealing membrane 11, a specific support structure is provided along the edge 25 at the front longitudinal end extending in the transverse direction T, which will be described in detail below.

[0097] Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 6 and Figure 7Specifically, the arrangement of the support structure at the level of the edge 25 at the front longitudinal end of the loading / unloading opening 7 is shown according to various embodiments.

[0098] The storage device 1 includes a plurality of secondary metal fixing supports 26 juxtaposed in the lateral direction T, the secondary fixing supports 26 extending at intervals, preferably at regular intervals, along the edge 25 at the front longitudinal end of the loading / unloading opening 7.

[0099] Each secondary fixing support 26 includes a secondary cover 29 extending in the longitudinal direction L, the secondary cover 29 being welded to a secondary foot 30. The secondary foot 30 is welded to or threaded to the upper support wall 8, for example. Thus, the secondary fixing support 26 has a sitting length extending in the longitudinal direction L, the sitting length being measured at the level where the secondary foot 30 is fixed to the support structure and capable of resisting tilting and bending in that direction.

[0100] like Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the secondary foot 30 is in the form of a beam with an H-shaped cross-section (the cross-sectional shape in a plane orthogonal to the thickness direction). The secondary foot 30 includes a first branch 31 formed by a plate and a second branch 32 formed by a plate, the second branch 32 being spaced apart from the first branch 31 in the longitudinal direction L by a connecting plate 3. The distance between the first branch 31 and the second branch 32 in the longitudinal direction L at the level of the upper support wall 8 corresponds to the seating length. Other cross-sectional shapes can also be used for the secondary foot 30, as long as these cross-sectional shapes provide a sufficient moment of inertia in the longitudinal direction L.

[0101] The secondary thermal insulation barrier 10 includes edge secondary insulation blocks 34. Each edge secondary insulation block 34 is staggered between two adjacent fixed supports 26 in the lateral direction T. Secondary stop plates 40 are attached to the upper surface of each edge secondary insulation block 34, for example by gluing, nailing, or threading.

[0102] The secondary sealing membrane 11 includes a metal secondary fixing plate 35 fixed to the upper surface of the secondary stop plate 40. Therefore, the first flange 37 of the connecting angle iron 36 is welded to a first portion of the metal secondary fixing plate 35, and the column plate interrupted by the opening 7 is welded to a second portion of the metal secondary fixing plate 35, particularly as... Figure 3 As shown.

[0103] As for the secondary stop plate 40 itself, the secondary stop plate 40 is fixed to the secondary cover 29 at each of its lateral edges by a fixing device 41, which presses the secondary stop plate 40 against the secondary cover 29.

[0104] Similarly, measures are provided to prevent translational movement of the secondary stop plate 40 in the longitudinal direction L. For this purpose, the secondary fixed support 26 includes a stop device 42 fixed to the secondary cover 29. Thus, the secondary stop plate 40 is held in place in the longitudinal direction L by the stop device 42 and by the edge 43 of the first branch 31 of the secondary foot 30, which protrudes from the secondary cover 29. Therefore, the secondary stop plate 40 is rigidly supported by the fixed support 26 in both the longitudinal direction L and the thickness direction, enabling it to withstand tension or compressive forces that may be applied by the secondary membrane during operation.

[0105] In particular, such as Figure 3 As shown, for example, a support plate 52 made of plywood is positioned on the corresponding opposite side of the second-stage flange 38 of the angle iron to reinforce the angle iron and prevent it from bending in the thickness direction. Furthermore, this support plate 52 is made of a material whose coefficient of thermal shrinkage in the thickness direction is close to that of the angle iron, thus shrinking in approximately the same way and maintaining its supporting function, for example, when the angle iron is made of… During manufacturing, the support plate is made of plywood. The support plate 52 is also positioned above the space between the cover 19 and the connecting angle irons 26, 49 to support the metal connecting strip 24. This space is filled with insulating filler 53, such as glass wool blocks.

[0106] The primary thermal insulation barrier 12 of the top wall 4 includes an edge primary insulation block 39 adjacent to the edge 25 at the front longitudinal end of the loading / unloading opening 7 in the same manner as the secondary thermal insulation barrier 10. The edge primary insulation block 39 is aligned with the edge secondary insulation block 34. The primary edge insulation block 34 and the secondary edge insulation block 39 are thus aligned horizontally at their edges facing the opening 7.

[0107] The primary edge insulating block 39 is formed consistent with the first portion of the two secondary fixing supports 26, which may or may not be adjacent to each other. In fact, the longitudinal dimension of the primary edge insulating block 39 is smaller than the seating length of the secondary fixing supports 26.

[0108] The anchoring of the primary thermal insulation barrier 12 at the front longitudinal end near the edge 25 will be described in more detail below.

[0109] like Figure 3 and Figure 6 As shown, in particular, the edge primary barrier block 39 includes two sidewalls perpendicular to the lateral direction T, each sidewall including a protrusion 44 formed on the lower portion of the sidewall of the edge primary barrier block 39.

[0110] The edge primary isolation block 39 is anchored horizontally to each of these sidewalls by a first anchoring device 45 having a secondary cover 29. Furthermore, the primary isolation panel 18 directly adjacent to the edge primary isolation block 39 is also secured to the secondary cover 29 by a second anchoring device 46.

[0111] Therefore, the primary isolation panel 18, directly adjacent to the edge primary isolation block 39, is formed to align with the second portion of the secondary fixing support 26, which is connected to the first portion, and the edge primary isolation block 39 is positioned to align with the first portion. The second portion of the secondary fixing support 26 corresponds to the edge portion of the secondary cover 29 at the maximum distance from the opening 7 in the longitudinal direction L, such that the stop device 42 is located between the first anchoring device 45 and the second anchoring device 46.

[0112] exist Figure 6 In the longitudinal direction L, the length of the primary edge insulating block 39 is shorter than the length of the secondary edge insulating block 34. Therefore, the secondary insulating panel 14 and the primary insulating panel 18 are arranged in a quincunx shape in the longitudinal direction L, which means that the joint between the secondary edge insulating block 34 and the secondary insulating panel 14 is not aligned with the joint between the primary edge insulating block 39 and the primary insulating panel 18 in the first direction.

[0113] Figure 4 The first anchoring device 45 and the second anchoring device 46 according to the first embodiment are shown in more detail. The first embodiment only shows the case where the secondary fixing support 26, to which the first anchoring device 45 and the second anchoring device 46 are fixed, is shown. The second anchoring device 46 is shown in cross-section to show its interior.

[0114] The first anchoring device 45 includes a base 48 fixed to the secondary cover 29, a columnar member 49 fixed to the base 48 and extending in the thickness direction and passing through an opening in the secondary sealing membrane 11 in a sealing manner, and a support element 50 mounted on the columnar member 49 and supported on a support surface formed on a protrusion 44 formed on the edge primary isolation block 39, thereby holding the support element 50 on the secondary fixed support 26.

[0115] Similarly, the second anchoring device 46 includes a base 48 fixed to the secondary cover 29, a columnar member 49 fixed to the base 48 and extending in the thickness direction, passing through an opening in the secondary sealing membrane 11 in a sealing manner, and a support element 50 mounted on the columnar member 49 and supported on a support surface formed on the primary isolation panel 18 adjacent to the edge primary isolation block 39, to secure the support element to the secondary fixing support 26. The support element 50 may be, for example, in the form of a plate fixed to the columnar member 49 by a nut. Figure 4As shown, the base 48 can be screwed onto the secondary cover 29 by a fixing screw located on the corresponding opposite side of the column 49 in the transverse direction T. The base 48 can also be welded to the secondary cover 29.

[0116] In the case of the first anchoring device 45, the orifice in the secondary sealing membrane 11 is formed to pass through the metal primary fixing plate 35, while in the case of the second anchoring device 46, the orifice in the secondary sealing membrane 11 is formed to pass through the edge portion of a column plate interrupted by the opening 7.

[0117] like Figure 4 As shown, the first anchoring device 45 and the second anchoring device 46 further include: a flange 54, which engages on the column 49 and is sealed to the secondary sealing membrane 11 around an opening in the secondary sealing membrane 11; and a deformable seal 55, which seals the flange 54 to the column 49, thereby allowing relative movement between the flange 54 and the column 49.

[0118] The flange 54 is fixed to the secondary sealing membrane 11 in a sealing manner around the orifice in the secondary sealing membrane 11. This sealing is achieved, for example, by welding. Furthermore, the column 49 has an anchoring shoulder 56 projecting radially outward toward the column 49. Additionally, a deformable seal 55 is welded to the flange 54 in a sealing manner on one hand, and to the anchoring shoulder 56 of the column 49 on the other, allowing the passage of the column 49 through the second receiving membrane 11 to be sealed. Figure 4 In the illustrated embodiment, the deformable seal 55 is a bellows, for example, made of stainless steel. Therefore, the sealing connection between the secondary sealing membrane 11 and the columnar member 49 is flexible, which allows relative movement of the edge primary insulating block 39 and the adjacent primary insulating panel 18 relative to the secondary sealing membrane 11, and thus limits the risk of deterioration of the seal of the secondary sealing membrane 11.

[0119] To protect the deformable seal 55, the first anchoring device 45 and the second anchoring device 46 are also equipped with a bell-shaped member 57, which includes an orifice into which the columnar member 49 screws and covers the deformable seal 55. In the illustrated embodiment, the bell-shaped member 57 has a generally cylindrical shape.

[0120] Figure 5 A second embodiment of the first anchoring device 45 and the second anchoring device 46 is shown. Only a portion of the base 48 is shown in this figure.

[0121] and Figure 4In contrast to the first embodiment, in this embodiment, the anchoring devices 45, 46 include a flange 54 forming an integral portion of the column 49. That is, the flange 54 is formed with the same mass as and simultaneously with the rest of the column 49, thus the flange 54 and the column 49 form a single, identical portion. Therefore, the flange 54 projects radially outward toward the column 49 and is welded to the secondary sealing membrane 11 in a sealing manner around an opening in the secondary sealing membrane 11. In this embodiment, the anchoring devices 45, 46 do not include a deformable seal, nor a bell-shaped member or anchoring shoulder.

[0122] Regarding the anchoring of the primary isolation panel 18 of the primary isolation block 39 adjacent to the edge, the anchoring can be with Figure 3 and Figure 6 The two implementations are implemented in different ways as shown in the two embodiments.

[0123] exist Figure 3 In one embodiment, the primary insulating panel 18 includes an opening formed in the foam 17 and the cover panel 16, located at the level of the lower corner 58 of the primary insulating panel 18 adjacent to the edge of the primary insulating block. The lower corner 58 is provided with a slat 59. Therefore, the support element 50 of the second anchoring device 45 is supported on a support surface formed on the slat 59.

[0124] exist Figure 6 In this embodiment, the primary insulation panel 18 includes an opening formed in the foam 17 and the cover panel 16 at a horizontal position on a side portion away from the lower corner 58. This side portion is perpendicular to the lateral direction T. A slat 59 is fixed to the bottom panel 15 at the opening. Therefore, the support element 50 of the second anchoring device 45 is supported on a support surface formed on the slat 59. Thus, the portion of the primary insulation panel 18 located between the lower corner 58 and the slat 59 can be used as an adjustment area to adjust the longitudinal dimension of the primary insulation panel 18. In the secondary thermal insulation barrier 10, the secondary insulation panel 14 adjacent to the edge secondary insulation block 34 also serves as an adjustment area. Furthermore, as... Figure 6 As shown, the secondary insulating panel 14 may have a structure different from other secondary insulating panels 14 and also different from the edge secondary insulating block 34, thereby having a stiffness and / or thermal shrinkage coefficient in the thickness direction from the edge secondary insulating block 34 to the stiffness and / or thermal shrinkage coefficient of other secondary insulating panels 14.

[0125] Figure 7 Implementation methods and Figure 6 The difference in the implementation method is that the secondary foot 30 is spaced further apart from the anchor plate 69 in the longitudinal direction L. In fact, in Figure 6 In the middle, the secondary foot 30 is spaced 10mm apart from the anchor plate 69, while... Figure 7 In this case, the distance has been increased to 20mm to facilitate welding operations in this area. For this purpose, plywood or resin board can be added between the secondary foot 30 and the secondary flange 38. Furthermore, the end 43 of the first branch 31 of the secondary foot 30 can be a plate offset relative to the rest of the first branch 31 and welded to the rest of the first branch 31, such as... Figure 7 As shown, or only at the end relative to the rest of the second branch 31, there is an offset.

[0126] Reference Figure 8 A cross-sectional view of the methane tanker 70 shows a generally prismatic, sealed, and isolated tank 71 installed in the vessel's twin hulls 72. The walls of the tank 71 include a primary sealing barrier intended to contact the LNG contained within the tank, a secondary sealing barrier disposed between the primary sealing barrier and the vessel's twin hulls 72, and two isolation barriers disposed between the primary sealing barrier and the secondary sealing barrier, and between the secondary sealing barrier and the twin hulls 72, respectively.

[0127] In a manner known per se, the loading / unloading pipe 73, located on the top deck of a vessel, can be connected to a sea or port terminal via appropriate connectors to transfer LNG cargo from or to tank 71.

[0128] Figure 8 An example of a marine terminal is shown, comprising a loading and unloading station 75, underwater pipelines 76, and onshore equipment 77. The loading and unloading station 75 is a fixed offshore facility comprising a boom 74 and a tower 78 supporting the boom 74. The boom 74 carries bundles of insulated flexible tubing 79 that can be connected to the loading / unloading pipeline 73. The directional boom 74 is adapted to all methane tank loading tables. Connecting pipes, not shown, extend inside the tower 78. The loading and unloading station 75 enables the loading and unloading of methane tanks 70 from the onshore equipment 77, or vice versa. The methane tank 70 includes a liquefied gas storage tank 80 and a connecting pipe 81 connected to the loading or unloading station 75 via the underwater pipeline 76. The underwater pipeline 76 enables the transport of liquefied gas over long distances—e.g., 5 kilometers—between loading or unloading station 75 and onshore equipment 77, allowing the methane tanker vessel 70 to maintain a greater distance from the coast during loading and unloading operations.

[0129] Pumps on the vessel 70 and / or pumps on the land-based facility 77 and / or pumps on the loading and unloading station 75 are used to generate the pressure required to transfer liquefied gases.

[0130] Although the invention has been described in conjunction with several specific embodiments, it is apparent that the invention is by no means limited thereto, and that the invention includes all technical equivalents and combinations thereof of the means included herein where such technical equivalents fall within the scope of the invention.

[0131] The use of the verbs “comprising” or “including” and their combinations does not exclude the presence of elements or steps other than those described in the claims.

[0132] In the claims, any reference numerals between parentheses shall not be construed as limiting the claims.

Claims

1. A storage device (1) for liquefied gas, the storage device (1) comprising a metal support structure (2) and a sealed and thermally insulated tank (71) disposed in the support structure. The can, in the thickness direction from the outside of the can toward the inside, comprises: A secondary thermal barrier (10), fixed to the support structure (2); a secondary sealing membrane (11) of metal disposed on the secondary thermal barrier (10); a primary thermal barrier (12), disposed on the secondary sealing membrane (11); and a primary sealing membrane (13), disposed on the primary thermal barrier (12) and for contacting the liquefied gas. The supporting structure includes an upper supporting wall (8). The tank (71) includes a top wall (4) fixed to the upper support wall (8). The top wall (4) is partially interrupted to define a loading / unloading opening (7) for allowing a loading / unloading pipe to pass through it. The secondary thermal insulation barrier (10) of the top wall (4) includes an edge secondary insulation block (34) adjacent to the edge (25) of the loading / unloading opening (7) and a secondary insulation panel (14) juxtaposed with the edge secondary insulation block (34) in a first direction. The loading / unloading opening extends in a second direction (T), and the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction (T). The primary thermal insulation barrier (12) of the top wall (4) includes an edge primary insulation block (39) adjacent to the edge of the loading / unloading opening (7) and a primary insulation panel (18) juxtaposed with the edge primary insulation block (39) in the first direction (L). The edge primary insulation block (39) has higher stiffness than the primary insulation panel (18) in the thickness direction. The storage device includes a plurality of secondary metal fixing supports (26) fixed to the upper support wall (8) along the edge of the loading / unloading opening (7) and located on two sides of the edge secondary isolation block (34) in the second direction (T). Each secondary fixing support (26) includes a secondary foot (30) and a secondary cover (29) fixed to the secondary foot (30). The secondary foot (30) has a seating length extending in the first direction (L). The primary edge insulating block (39) is positioned to align with a first portion of a secondary fixing support in the secondary fixing support (26), and the primary edge insulating block (39) is fixed to the secondary cover (29) of the secondary fixing support (26) by a first anchoring device (45). The primary insulating panel (18) extends in a manner aligned with a second portion of the secondary fixing support (26), the second portion being adjacent to the first portion in the first direction (L). The primary insulating panel (18) is fixed to the secondary cover (29) by a second anchoring device (46).

2. The storage device according to claim 1, wherein, The secondary thermal insulation barrier includes a secondary stop plate (40) disposed on the edge secondary insulation block (34), and the edge portion of the secondary sealing film is fixed to the secondary stop plate (40).

3. The storage device according to claim 2, wherein, The secondary sealing membrane (11) of the top wall (4) includes a plurality of parallel columns extending in the first direction (L), each column comprising a planar central portion and two raised edges protruding toward the interior of the tank relative to the central portion, the columns being juxtaposed in the second direction (T) in a repeating pattern and the columns being welded together in a sealing manner at the level of the raised edges, at least one of the columns being interrupted by the loading / unloading opening, and the edge portion of the interrupted column being secured to the secondary stop (40).

4. The storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The edge primary insulating block (39) is in the form of a box, which includes a bottom plate, a cover plate parallel to the bottom plate, and a support spacer plate that keeps the cover plate and the bottom plate at a certain distance. The box is filled with insulating filler.

5. The storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The primary insulation panel (18) successively includes at least one insulation foam layer (17) and at least one rigid plate (15, 16) in the thickness direction.

6. The storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The edge primary isolation block (39) is in the shape of a parallelepiped and includes two side portions perpendicular to the second direction (T). At least one of the side portions is fixed to the secondary cover (29) of the secondary fixing support (26) by the first anchoring device (45).

7. The storage device according to claim 6, wherein, The edge primary isolation block (39) has a dimension in the second direction equal to the distance between two adjacent secondary fixing supports (26), and wherein the two side portions of the edge primary isolation block (39) are respectively fixed to the secondary caps (29) of the two adjacent secondary fixing supports (26) by two first anchoring devices (45).

8. The storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The edge primary barrier block (39) includes a support surface, and wherein the first anchoring device (45) includes: a base (48) fixed to the secondary cover (29); a column (49) fixed to the base and extending in the thickness direction and passing through an opening in the secondary sealing membrane (11) in a sealing manner; and a support element (50) mounted on the column and supported on the support surface of the edge primary barrier block (39) to hold the edge primary barrier block (39) on the secondary fixing support (26).

9. The storage device according to claim 8, wherein, The edge primary isolation block (39) is in the shape of a parallelepiped and includes two side portions perpendicular to the second direction (T). At least one of the side portions is fixed to the secondary cover (29) of the secondary fixing support (26) by the first anchoring device (45). At least one of the side portions of the edge primary isolation block (39) includes a protrusion (44), and the supporting surface is formed on the protrusion.

10. The storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The primary insulating panel (18) includes a support surface, and wherein the second anchoring device (46) includes: a base (48) fixed to the secondary cover (29); a column (49) fixed to the base and extending in the thickness direction and passing through an opening in the secondary sealing membrane in a sealing manner; and a support element (50) mounted on the column and supported on the support surface of the primary insulating panel to hold the primary insulating panel on the secondary fixing support (26).

11. The storage device according to claim 10, wherein, The supporting surface of the primary insulating panel (18) is located at the level of the corner portion (58) of the primary insulating panel or is positioned spaced apart from the corner portion of the primary insulating panel.

12. The storage device according to claim 8, wherein, The first anchoring device (45) and / or the second anchoring device (46) further include a flange (54) forming an integral part of the column, the flange projecting radially toward the outside of the column and securing it to the secondary sealing membrane in a sealing manner around an opening in the secondary sealing membrane.

13. The storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The distance between the junction of the edge secondary isolation block (34) and the secondary isolation panel (14) in the first direction from the edge of the loading / unloading opening (7) is greater than the distance between the junction of the edge primary isolation block (39) and the primary isolation panel (18) in the first direction from the edge of the loading / unloading opening (7).

14. The storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The first anchoring device (45) and the second anchoring device (46) are formed in the same manner, and the first anchoring device and the second anchoring device are spaced apart from each other in the first direction (L).

15. The storage device according to claim 2, wherein, The storage device includes a connecting angle iron (36) extending in the second direction (T) to seal the secondary thermal insulation barrier from the loading / unloading opening. The connecting angle iron includes a first flange (37) and a second flange (38) connected to the first flange. The first flange is fixed to the secondary stop plate (40), and the second flange is welded to an anchor flat member (69) fastened to the upper support wall.

16. The storage device according to claim 15, wherein, The secondary foot (30) is spaced apart from the anchor flat member (69) in the first direction (L).

17. The storage device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the storage device (1) adopts a floating structure, The support structure includes a double shell (72) of the floating structure, wherein the first direction (L) is the longitudinal direction (L) of the floating structure.

18. A transfer system for cold liquid products, the system comprising: The storage device according to claim 17; isolation conduits (73, 79, 76, 81) arranged to connect a tank (71) installed in the hull of the floating structure to an external floating or land-based storage device (77); and a pump for driving a liquid product flow from the external floating or land-based storage device (77) through the isolation conduits to the tank of the floating structure, or the pump for driving a liquid product flow from the tank of the floating structure through the isolation conduits to the external floating or land-based storage device (77).

19. A method for loading or unloading the storage device according to claim 17, wherein, The cold liquid product is guided from an external floating or land-based storage facility (77) through insulated pipes (73, 79, 76, 81) to the tank (71) of the floating structure, or the cold liquid product is guided from the tank (71) of the floating structure to an external floating or land-based storage facility (77) through insulated pipes (73, 79, 76, 81).

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