Dome structure for sealed and thermally isolated cans

Abstract

The present invention relates to a dome structure for a sealed and thermally insulated tank, the dome structure comprising a horizontal lid and a dome lateral wall, the dome lateral wall comprising a sealing membrane comprising at least one corrugation, the dome structure comprising at least one insulation block anchored against a lower face of the lid, the insulation block and the corrugation are spaced apart by a first distance in projections in a horizontal plane, and an insulation liner including one or more liner elements adjacent to the lateral wall, positioned against the cover and disposed between the insulation block and the lateral wall, the or each liner element has a thickness in a direction orthogonal to the dome lateral wall that is less than the first distance, and the retaining plate is anchored to the lower surface of the insulation block and extends below the insulation liner.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of sealed and thermally insulated tanks for storing and / or transporting fluids, such as cryogenic fluids. In particular, sealed and thermally insulated tanks are used for storing liquefied natural gas (LNG), which is stored at about -162°C at atmospheric pressure. Background Art

[0002] Document WO2019 / 215414 discloses a liquefied gas storage facility, which includes a support structure and a sealed and thermally insulated tank arranged in the support structure, and the support structure includes a double hull of a ship. The facility includes a dome structure, which is used as a penetration point (point of penetration) for a loading / unloading tower, and the loading / unloading tower includes a pipeline for loading or unloading the tank. The dome structure protrudes upward from the upper support wall. The dome structure includes a vertical support wall higher than the ship deck and a horizontal wall positioned at the top of the vertical support wall. The horizontal wall supports the cover, which includes a metal cover wall and a thermal insulation member fixed to the lower face of the metal cover wall. In addition, the vertical support wall of the dome structure is covered by a multilayer structure, which includes a secondary thermal insulation barrier, a secondary sealing film, a primary sealing film, a primary thermal insulation barrier and a primary sealing film from the outside to the inside. The primary sealing membrane includes a plurality of corrugations, the plurality of corrugations make the primary sealing membrane elastic, and the plurality of corrugations protrude toward the interior of the dome structure.

[0003] As referenced above Fig.15 and Fig.16 As described, the insulating elements are fixed in the central part of the cover after the metal cover walls have been mounted and welded against the other walls of the dome structure and the loading / unloading towers have been fixed against said metal cover walls. At this stage, the peripheral part of the metal cover walls is not covered by the insulating elements. In a subsequent step, the edge insulating elements are positioned against the peripheral part of the metal cover walls. However, the corrugated portion of the primary sealing membrane protrudes inwards in the upper part of the vertical walls of the dome structure, which prevents the edge insulating element from being positioned against the peripheral part of the metal cover wall in the space formed between the primary sealing membrane of one of the dome vertical walls and one of the insulating elements fixed in the central part of the metal cover wall. Summary of the invention

[0004] One idea on which the invention is based is to provide a dome structure in which it is facilitated to arrange insulating material against a cover of the dome structure.

[0005] According to one embodiment, the present invention provides a dome structure for a sealed and thermally insulated tank, the dome structure comprising a plurality of dome lateral walls and a horizontal cover, the plurality of dome lateral walls protruding vertically from the top wall of the tank and defining a channel for at least one pipeline to pass through, the at least one pipeline being used to load liquefied gas into the tank or unload liquefied gas from the tank, the horizontal cover closing the channel, the plurality of dome lateral walls comprising a first dome lateral wall, the first dome lateral wall comprising a corrugated sealing membrane, the corrugated sealing membrane comprising at least one corrugated portion protruding in a direction toward the channel, the dome structure comprising: at least one insulating block, the insulating block Anchored against the lower face of the cover, the insulating block and the corrugated portion are spaced apart from each other by a first distance in a projection on a horizontal plane; an insulating liner, the insulating liner comprising one or more lining elements, the insulating liner being adjacent to the first lateral wall, being arranged against the cover and being arranged between the insulating block and the first lateral wall, the lining element or each lining element having a thickness in a direction orthogonal to the lateral wall of the first dome being less than the first distance, or the lining element or each lining element being adapted to be compressed in a direction orthogonal to the lateral wall of the first dome being less than the first distance; a retaining plate, the retaining plate being anchored to the lower surface of the insulating block and extending below the insulating liner.

[0006] Due to these features, the thermal insulation of the dome structure is complete and thorough, and the insulating liner can achieve thermal insulation of the edge of the corrugated sealing membrane. In addition, in view of the above-mentioned features of the insulating liner, despite the corrugated portion of the sealing membrane, the insulating liner can still be easily installed.

[0007] According to embodiments of the present invention, such a dome structure may have one or more of the following features.

[0008] According to one embodiment, the retaining plate is arranged at a distance from the sealing membrane.

[0009] This configuration thus prevents friction between the retaining plate and the corrugated sealing membrane, which friction could lead to premature wear of the retaining plate and the corrugated sealing membrane and which friction could be exacerbated by the effects of thermal shrinkage phenomena and deformations of the supporting structure.

[0010] According to one embodiment, the distance between the retaining plate and the sealing membrane is between 5 mm and 25 mm, inclusive.

[0011] According to a preferred embodiment, the distance between the retaining plate and the sealing film is between 10 mm and 20 mm, inclusive.

[0012] More preferably, the target value of the distance between the plate and the sealing film is maintained at 15 mm.

[0013] Such a distance value therefore reduces the risk of the retaining plate rubbing against the surface of the sealing membrane.

[0014] According to one embodiment, the holding plate is made of wood.

[0015] According to one embodiment, the retaining plate has a cutout through which the vertical corrugations pass.

[0016] According to a preferred embodiment, the retaining plate is made of plywood.

[0017] In fact, wood - and in particular plywood - is a material with low thermal conductivity. Furthermore, if there is accidental contact between the retaining plate and the sealing membrane, the risk of a wooden retaining plate scratching the sealing membrane is less than if the retaining plate is made of some other material (such as metal).

[0018] According to one embodiment, at least one insulating lining element is made of a material selected from the group consisting of glass wool, rock wool and polyester wadding.

[0019] The lining element therefore comprises a flexible and thermally insulating material.

[0020] Furthermore, the material is compressible, thereby facilitating the insertion of one or more lining elements.

[0021] According to one embodiment, at least one insulating lining element is made of insulating polymer foam.

[0022] Hence, the lining element comprises a thermally insulating material, thereby enabling thermal insulation of the dome structure.

[0023] According to one embodiment, the corrugated sealing membrane comprises vertical corrugations and the insulating liner comprises a plurality of lining elements, wherein a contact element in the lining elements is arranged to abut against the sealing membrane between two consecutive vertical corrugations.

[0024] According to one embodiment, the contact lining element has a beveled end.

[0025] The contact lining element is thus optimally adapted to the shape of the corrugations of the corrugated sealing membrane, so that an optimal thermal insulation effect can be provided.

[0026] According to one embodiment, the contact lining element has a thickness in a direction orthogonal to the lateral walls of the dome which is the same as the height of the corrugations.

[0027] According to one embodiment, the lining element includes a secondary lining element, which extends in the space between the contact lining element and the insulating block, and the secondary lining element has a dimension in the direction orthogonal to the plane of symmetry of the vertical corrugation portion that is larger than the dimension of the contact lining element in the direction orthogonal to the plane of symmetry of the vertical corrugation portion.

[0028] Therefore, since the secondary lining element is common to a plurality of contact lining elements, the number of steps for fitting the thermally insulating lining is reduced.

[0029] According to one embodiment, the sealing membrane is covered with an insulating lining element in the portion arranged above the holding plate.

[0030] Thus, the dome structure may be fully thermally insulated using an insulating lining.

[0031] According to one embodiment, the at least one insulating block is anchored to the cover by studs which pass completely through the at least one insulating block, the support plate being positioned against the lower face of the at least one insulating block, nuts being screwed onto the studs and holding the support plate.

[0032] This feature therefore enables easy fixing of the at least one insulating block.

[0033] According to one embodiment, the present invention provides a sealed and thermally insulated tank comprising the above-mentioned dome structure.

[0034] According to one embodiment, the sealed and thermally insulated tank comprises a loading / unloading tower comprising at least two vertical rods passing through the cover and fixed to each other by transverse members, each of the two vertical rods forming a conduit for loading or unloading the tank.

[0035] According to one embodiment, the present invention provides a vessel for transporting fluids, the vessel comprising the sealed and thermally insulated tank described above.

[0036] According to one embodiment, the present invention provides a system for transmitting fluid, the system comprising: the above-mentioned ship; an isolated pipeline, the isolated pipeline being arranged to connect the tank of the ship to a floating storage facility or an onshore storage facility; and a pump, the pump being used to drive the fluid to flow from the floating storage facility or the onshore storage facility through the isolated pipeline to the tank of the ship, or from the tank of the ship through the isolated pipeline to the floating storage facility or the onshore storage facility.

[0037] According to one embodiment, the present invention provides a method for assembling a dome structure for a sealed and thermally insulated tank, the dome structure comprising a plurality of dome lateral walls and a horizontal cover, the plurality of dome lateral walls protruding vertically from a top wall of the tank and defining a channel for at least one pipeline to pass through, the at least one pipeline being used to load liquefied gas into the tank or unload liquefied gas from the tank, the horizontal cover closing the channel, the plurality of dome lateral walls comprising a first dome lateral wall, the first dome lateral wall comprising a corrugated sealing membrane, the corrugated sealing membrane comprising at least one corrugated portion protruding in a direction toward the channel, the dome structure comprising: at least one insulating block anchored against a lower face of the cover, the insulating block and the corrugated portion being spaced apart from each other by a first distance in a projection on a horizontal plane, the assembling method comprising the following steps:

[0038] - an insulating lining is arranged between the insulating block and the first lateral wall, the insulating lining comprising one or more lining elements, the or each lining element having a thickness in a direction normal to the first dome lateral wall that is less than the first distance, or the or each lining element is compressed in a direction normal to the first lateral wall until the or each lining element has a thickness in a direction normal to the first dome lateral wall that is less than the first distance,

[0039] - Anchoring a retaining plate to the lower face of the insulation block, the retaining plate extending beneath the insulation liner to hold the insulation liner in place.

[0040] According to one embodiment, the assembly method provides for vertically inserting at least one lining element into the space between the corrugated sealing membrane and the insulating block and then moving the at least one lining element so that the at least one lining element is in contact with the corrugated sealing member.

[0041] According to one embodiment, the assembly method provides for pre-fixing at least one insulating block to the cover by means of studs which pass completely through the at least one insulating block, positioning the support plate against the lower face of the at least one insulating block, screwing nuts onto the studs and retaining the support plate.

[0042] According to one embodiment, the assembly method provides that the lining element covers a portion of the corrugated sealing membrane which is located above the retaining plate.

[0043] According to one embodiment, the method further comprises the following steps:

[0044] - arranging a contact lining element between two consecutive vertical corrugations, the contact lining element having the same height as the height of the corrugations,

[0045] - Arranging the secondary lining element to occupy the gap between the contact lining element and the at least one insulating block.

[0046] According to one embodiment, the secondary lining element has a dimension in a direction orthogonal to the plane of symmetry of the corrugations which is longer than a dimension of the contact lining element in a direction orthogonal to the plane of symmetry of the corrugations.

[0047] According to one embodiment, the assembly method is such that the edges of the lining element are first beveled before the lining element is inserted into the space between the corrugated sealing membrane and the insulating block.

[0048] According to one embodiment, the present invention also provides a method for loading or unloading the above-mentioned ship, wherein the fluid is guided from a floating storage facility or an onshore storage facility through an isolated pipeline to a tank of the ship, or the fluid is guided from a tank of the ship through an isolated pipeline to a floating storage facility or an onshore storage facility. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0049] The present invention will be better understood and other objects, details, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent through the following description of several specific embodiments of the present invention given by way of non-limiting illustration with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0050] [ Figure 1 ] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a portion of a support structure for receiving the walls of a sealed and thermally insulated tank.

[0051] [ Figure 2 ] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the multi-layer structure of the tank wall.

[0052] [ Figure 3 ] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram depicting a loading / unloading tower and partially showing a supporting structure inside which the loading / unloading tower is mounted.

[0053] [ Figure 4 ] Figure 4 Yes, you can Figure 1 Schematic cross-section of the dome structure used in the support structure.

[0054] [ Figure 5 ] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of part of the dome structure during the initial isolation step.

[0055] [ Figure 6 ] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a portion of the dome structure during the step of inserting the insulating liner.

[0056] [ Figure 7 ] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a portion of the dome structure during the step of attaching the insulation liner.

[0057] [ Figure 8 ] Figure 8 This is a partial schematic diagram of the dome structure in its final state.

[0058] [ Fig. 9 ] Fig. 9 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram during the preliminary isolation step.

[0059] [ Fig.10 ] Fig.10 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram after the initial isolation step.

[0060] [ Fig.11 ] Fig.11 is a perspective schematic diagram of a detail of the dome structure after installation of the contact lining elements.

[0061] [ Fig.12 ] Fig.12 is a perspective schematic diagram of a detail of the dome structure portion after installation of the secondary lining elements.

[0062] [ Fig.13 ] Fig.13 is a schematic three-dimensional view of the lining elements in the dome structure.

[0063] [ Fig.14 ] Fig.14 is a schematic side view of the lining elements in the dome structure section.

[0064] [ Fig.15 ] Fig.15 It is a perspective schematic diagram of the details of the dome structure after the retaining plate is installed.

[0065] [ Fig.16 ] Fig.16 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the dome structure in its final state.

[0066] [ Fig.17 ] Fig.17 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a methane tanker ship tank and the dock used to load / unload the tank. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0067] Figure 1 The rear part of the support structure 1 is shown, which is used to receive the wall of the sealed and thermally insulated tank. The support structure 1 is formed by the double hull of the ship. The support structure 1 has the general shape of a polyhedron. The support structure 1 has a front wall 2 and a rear wall 3, which are octagonal in this case. Figure 1, the front wall 2 is only partially shown so that the inner space of the support structure 1 can be seen. The front wall 2 and the rear wall 3 are cofferdam walls of the ship and extend transversely to the longitudinal direction of the ship. The support structure 1 also includes an upper wall 4, a lower wall 5 and lateral walls 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. The upper wall 4, the lower wall 5 and the lateral walls 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 extend in the longitudinal direction of the ship and connect the front wall 2 and the rear wall 3.

[0068] The upper wall 4 includes a space in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped protruding upward near the rear wall 3 of the support structure 1, which is called a liquid dome 12. The liquid dome 12 is defined by a front lateral wall 13 and a rear lateral wall 14 and two lateral walls 15 and 16, which extend vertically and protrude upward from the upper wall 4. The liquid dome 12 also includes a horizontal cover that is not in the upper wall 4. Figure 1 , the horizontal cover is intended to cover, in a sealed manner, the opening 14 situated between the front wall 13 , the rear wall 14 and the lateral walls 15 , 16 of the liquid dome 12 .

[0069] See also Figure 2 The tank mentioned in the tank assembly method described below is a membrane tank having a multilayer structure. Figure 2 As schematically represented in FIG. 1 , each wall of the tank comprises, from the outside to the inside, in the thickness direction of the wall: a secondary thermal insulation barrier 44, comprising an insulating element arranged against the support structure 1; a secondary sealing film 18, anchored to the insulating element of the thermal insulation barrier 44; a primary thermal insulation barrier 19, comprising an insulating element arranged against the secondary sealing film 18; and a primary sealing film 20, anchored to the insulating element of the primary thermal insulation barrier 19, and used to contact the fluid contained in the tank. This multilayer structure of the tank is arranged on each of the walls 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 of the support structure 1. This multilayer structure is also present in the walls of the liquid dome 12 except at the height of the cover.

[0070] For example, each wall of the tank may in particular be of the Mark III type, such as described in FR2691520, or of the Mark V type, such as described in WO14057221.

[0071] Each wall of the tank is anchored to the corresponding wall of the supporting structure 1 from the outside to the inside of the tank, that is to say:

[0072] - the insulating elements of the secondary thermal insulating barrier 44 are anchored to the corresponding walls of the supporting structure 1 ;

[0073] - the secondary sealing membrane 18 is anchored to the insulating element of the secondary thermal insulating barrier 44 ;

[0074] - the insulating elements of the primary thermal insulation barrier 19 are anchored to the insulating elements of the secondary thermal insulation barrier 44 or to the supporting structure 1 via the secondary sealing membrane 18; and then

[0075] The primary sealing membrane 20 is anchored to the insulating element of the primary thermal insulation barrier 19 .

[0076] In addition, the tank includes Figure 3 and Figure 4 The loading / unloading tower shown in FIG. 2 is particularly capable of loading cargo into tanks before transporting the cargo and / or unloading the cargo after transporting the cargo. The loading / unloading tower 21 is installed near the rear wall 3 of the support structure 1, because the ship tilts backwards when unloading cargo, which makes it possible to optimize the amount of cargo unloaded by the loading / unloading tower 21.

[0077] A loading / unloading tower 21 is suspended from the upper wall 4 of the support structure 1, more particularly from the cover of the liquid dome 12. The loading / unloading tower 21 extends over almost the entire height of the tank. The loading / unloading tower 21 supports, at its lower end, one or more pumps for unloading the cargo.

[0078] It can be seen that the loading / unloading tower 21 has a tripod structure, i.e. comprises three vertical masts 22, 23, 24, which are fixed to each other by a cross member 25. Each of the masts 22, 23, 24 is hollow and passes through the cover of the liquid dome 12. Therefore, each of the masts 22, 23, 24 forms a loading and / or unloading pipeline, making it possible to load fluid to or unload fluid from a tank, or each of the masts 22, 23, 24 forms a standby well, making it possible to lower a standby pump and an unloading pipeline when other unloading pumps fail. In the embodiment shown, two of the rods 22, 23 form lines for unloading the tanks, for which purpose each of the rods is associated with an unloading pump 26, 27 fixed to the lower end of the loading / unloading tower 21, while the third rod 24 forms a backup well. In this embodiment, the loading / unloading tower 21 carries one or more loading lines (not shown) which do not constitute one of the rods 22, 23, 24 of the tripod structure.

[0079] Will refer to Figures 5 to 8 A method of mounting insulation against the cover 17 of the dome structure 12 is described.

[0080] exist Figure 5 In a first step schematically represented in , the dome structure 12 is in an initial state in which the central insulating block 30 is anchored to the cover 17. The lateral walls 15 are covered by a sealing membrane 32. Attachment members 36 are fastened to the cover 17 and are arranged vertically.

[0081] The first step is to place the edge insulating block 31 against the central insulating block 30 and the sealing membrane 32. The edge insulating block 31 is sized to be inserted vertically between the central insulating block 30 and the sealing membrane 32 without contacting the corrugated portion 33, which is perpendicular to the central insulating block 30 and the sealing membrane 32. Figure 5 extends in the direction of the plane.

[0082] The edge insulating block 31 is anchored to the cover by means of attachment members 36 which are intended to pass completely through the edge insulating block 31 .

[0083] The edge insulating blocks 31 and the central insulating block 30 may be made of insulating polymer foam, such as polyurethane foam, or, when the thickness is small, of wood, preferably plywood.

[0084] See also Figure 6 After the first mounting step, the edge insulating block 31 has the attachment member 36 passing through the edge insulating block 31 so that the attachment member 36 protrudes from the lower surface of the edge insulating block 31. The attachment member 36 is preferably provided at the central portion of the edge insulating block 31.

[0085] The edge insulating block 31 is arranged to abut against the central insulating block 30, leaving a gap 34 between the edge insulating block 31 and the sealing film 32. In addition, the height of the edge insulating block 31 in the direction orthogonal to the cover 17 is the same as the height of the central insulating block 30. Figure 6 As shown, the edge insulation block 31 and the corrugated portion 33 with the maximum height are spaced apart from each other by a first dimension in the projection in the horizontal plane, which first dimension corresponds to Figure 6 The reference symbol d1 in .

[0086] See also Figure 6 and Figure 7 , showing the second installation step. The second installation step includes inserting an insulating lining 40 between the edge insulating block 31 and the sealing film 32, the insulating lining 40 being inserted via the gap 34. The insulating lining 40 is inserted in a manner that the gap 34 is completely filled.

[0087] In one embodiment, the insulating liner 30 comprises a lining element having a dimension d2 in a direction orthogonal to the lateral wall 15 that is greater than the dimension d1. In this case, the insulating liner 40 is made of a compressible material and then is compressed so as to be able to occupy the entire gap 34.

[0088] In an alternative embodiment, the insulating liner 40 may likewise consist of a plurality of lining elements, each lining element having a dimension d2 smaller than d1 in a free or compressed state. Thus, the lining elements may be inserted sequentially and then juxtaposed in the gap.

[0089] In this case, the lining element is inserted vertically into the gap and then moved horizontally until the lining element comes into contact with the sealing membrane 32 or with a preceding lining element previously set against the sealing membrane 32. The sealing element can be compressed to pass through the gap, but this is not necessary if the dimension d2 of the sealing element is smaller than d1.

[0090] The insulating liner 40 is made of insulating elements such as glass wool, rock wool, polyester wadding or flexible foam. The insulating liner 40 may also include polymer foam, such as polyurethane foam.

[0091] Furthermore, it is also possible to combine different types of materials and have a heterogeneous lining element comprising two by two different elements.

[0092] Reference Figure 7 and Figure 8 The third installation step is to place a retaining plate 35 under the insulating liner 40 to hold the insulating liner in place. The retaining plate 35 is made of wood, preferably plywood.

[0093] The retaining plate 35 is provided to partially cover and be anchored to the lower surface of the edge insulating block 31. The retaining plate 35 extends below the insulating liner 40 and extends to prevent the insulating liner 40 from falling off with respect to the sealing film 32 (although not in direct contact with the sealing film 32).

[0094] For example, the retaining plate 35 may be glued or screwed to the edge insulation block.

[0095] Reference Figures 9 to 11 , a portion of the dome structure 12 is shown in a perspective view in an initial state. The cover 17 is provided with regularly distributed attachment members 36, such as studs.

[0096] The central insulating block 30 is intended to be placed in contact with the cover 17 and to be fixed to the cover 17 , for example by gluing the central insulating block 30 to the cover 17 or by anchoring means not shown.

[0097] The first lateral wall 15 is covered by a first sealing film 321 , and the second lateral wall 16 is covered by a second sealing film 322 .

[0098] The first sealing film 321 and the second sealing film 322 include horizontal corrugations 33 extending parallel to the plane of the cover 17 .

[0099] The first sealing film 321 and the second sealing film 322 further include a vertical corrugation 39 which is perpendicular to the horizontal corrugation 33 and parallel to a direction orthogonal to the plane of the cover 17 .

[0100] See also Fig.10 The first edge insulating block 311 is disposed between the central insulating block 30 and the first sealing film 321 . The second edge insulating block 312 is disposed between the central insulating block 30 and the second sealing film 322 .

[0101] However, the first edge insulating block 311 and the second edge insulating block 312 are not in direct contact with the first sealing film 321 and the second sealing film 322 , respectively.

[0102] The first edge isolating block 311 and the second edge isolating block 321 are fixed to the cover by means of attachment members 36, which are pins here. The attachment members 36 form a grid on the cover wall 17 and are arranged equidistant from each other. The attachment members 36 protrude from the surface of the cover wall 17. The attachment members 36 pass completely through the edge isolating blocks 311, 321 and are held in place at the level of the lower surface of the isolating blocks. For this purpose, for example, a support plate is mounted on one end of the attachment member 36, the support plate being positioned against the lower face of the isolating blocks and being held in place by bolts.

[0103] Reference Figures 11 to 15 The arrangement of the lining element between the edge insulating block 31 and the sealing membrane 32 in one embodiment is explained. In the above figures, details of the corner zone of the dome structure 12 are shown in perspective.

[0104] See also Fig.11 , the first contact lining element 41 is inserted into the gap 34 and then arranged to abut against the sealing membrane 32. The first contact lining element 41 has a height in a direction orthogonal to the plane of the cover 17 so that the first contact lining element 41 occupies a space between the cover 17 and the edge horizontal corrugation 331, which is the horizontal corrugation closest to the cover 17.

[0105] Furthermore, the first contact lining element 41 has such dimensions that it can be accommodated between two consecutive vertical corrugations 39 or, alternatively, between an edge of the dome structure 12 and the first vertical corrugation 39 .

[0106] Finally, the thickness of the first contact lining element 41 in a direction orthogonal to the first lateral wall 15 is the same or substantially the same as the height of the corrugation 33. However, in other embodiments, the contact lining element 41 may have a greater thickness and occupy the entire gap 34, especially when the contact lining element 41 is made of a compressible material.

[0107] Reference Fig.12 , the secondary lining element 42 is inserted between the contact lining element 41 and the edge insulating block 31. The length of the secondary lining element 42 is greater than the length of the contact lining element 41. In fact, unlike the contact lining element 41, the secondary lining element 42 is not limited in length by the presence of the vertical corrugations 39.

[0108] Reference Fig.13 and Fig.14 , the contact lining element 41 is arranged between each consecutive set of paired horizontal corrugations 33. In addition, the secondary lining element 42 having a greater length than the contact lining element 41 can be shared by a plurality of consecutive contact lining elements 41. According to a preferred embodiment, the contact element 41 has a bevelled side 43, and the bevelled side 43 has an inclination such that the contact lining element 41 is tangent to the corrugations of the sealing membrane 32, and the horizontal corrugations 33 have two curved sides.

[0109] The second lining element 42 is disposed in abutting contact with the lining element 41 and is tangential to the top of the horizontal corrugated portion 33 .

[0110] See also Fig.14 , it can be seen that the lining element can have a different thickness for each size of the dome structure 12. In fact, when the sealing membrane comprises corrugations with different heights, the highest corrugations are the corrugations oriented in the longitudinal direction of the ship, while the shortest corrugations are the corrugations oriented in the transverse direction of the ship. That is why, depending on the orientation of the lateral walls of the dome structure, the vertical corrugations 33 of the sealing membrane 32 may be largest on a lateral wall (when the lateral wall is oriented transversely) and smallest on an adjacent lateral wall (when the adjacent lateral wall is oriented longitudinally). From Fig.15 As can be seen in the figure, the retaining plate 35 does not contact the sealing film 32. In fact, the distance between the sealing film 32 and the retaining plate 35 is between 5 mm and 25 mm, which is inclusive. The presence of this gap prevents contact between the sealing film 32 and the retaining plate 35 even if the can is subjected to high thermal deformation during use. In addition, the retaining plate 35 also includes a cutout for the vertical corrugated portion to pass through.

[0111] The adjustment is carried out at the level of the edge insulating block 31. In practice, the retaining plate 35 can be anchored more or less close to the sealing membrane 32, depending on the required margin. The retaining plate 35 can be fixed by screws or glue.

[0112] Reference Fig.16 , shows a more general view of a corner region of the dome structure. The lining element adjoins the edge of the insulating block 31 facing the sealing membrane 32.

[0113] According to the embodiment shown here, each lining element of the insulating lining 40 occupies the entire area delimited by the sealing membrane 32 , the edge insulating block 31 and two successive vertical corrugations 39 .

[0114] The liquefied gas intended to be stored in a tank may in particular be liquefied natural gas (LNG), i.e. a gas mixture containing mainly methane and one or more other hydrocarbons. The liquefied gas may likewise be hydrogen, ethane or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), i.e. a hydrocarbon mixture resulting from petroleum refining, which mixture mainly comprises propane and butane.

[0115] Reference Fig.17 , a cross-sectional view of a methane tanker vessel 70 shows a sealed and insulated tank 71 installed in a double hull 72 of the vessel, the tank 71 having a prismatic general shape. The wall of the tank 71 includes a primary sealing barrier for contact with the LNG contained in the tank, a secondary sealing barrier arranged between the primary sealing barrier and the double hull 72 of the vessel, and two insulating barriers arranged between the primary sealing barrier and the secondary sealing barrier and between the secondary sealing barrier and the double hull 72, respectively.

[0116] In a manner known per se, a loading / unloading pipeline 73 provided on the top deck of the vessel may be connected to a marine or port terminal by means of appropriate connectors in order to transfer the LNG cargo from or to the tank 71 .

[0117] Fig.17An example of a marine terminal is shown, which includes a loading and unloading station 75, an underwater pipeline 76 and an onshore facility 77. The loading and unloading station 75 is a fixed offshore facility, which includes a movable arm 74 and a tower 78 supporting the movable arm 74. The movable arm 74 supports a bundle of insulated flexible pipes 79 that can be connected to the loading / unloading pipeline 73. The orientable movable arm 74 is suitable for all methane tanker loading gauges. The connecting pipeline not shown extends into the tower 78. The loading and unloading station 75 enables the methane tanker 70 to be loaded to or unloaded from the onshore facility 77. The onshore facility 77 includes a liquefied gas storage tank 80 and a connecting pipeline 81 connected to the loading or unloading station 75 through the underwater pipeline 76. The underwater pipeline 76 allows the liquefied gas to be transferred between the loading or unloading station 75 and the onshore facility 77 over a large distance, for example 5 kilometers, which makes it possible to keep the methane tanker vessel 70 at a large distance from the coast during loading and unloading operations.

[0118] In order to generate the pressure required for the transfer of the liquefied gas, a pump on board the vessel 70 and / or a pump equipped at the onshore facility 77 and / or a pump equipped at the loading and unloading station 75 is used.

[0119] Although the present invention has been described in conjunction with a number of specific embodiments, it is obvious that the present invention is by no means limited to these embodiments and that the present invention includes all technical equivalents of the described means and their combinations if they fall within the scope of the present invention.

[0120] Use of the verb "comprise" or "include" and its conjugations does not exclude the presence of elements or steps other than those stated in a claim.

[0121] In the claims, any reference signs placed between parentheses shall not be construed as limiting the claim.

Claims

1. A dome structure (12) for a sealed and thermally insulated tank, the dome structure comprising a plurality of dome lateral walls (13, 14, 15, 16) protruding vertically from the top wall of the tank and defining a passage through which at least one pipe (21) passes, the at least one pipe (21) being used to load liquefied gas into the tank or unload liquefied gas from the tank, and a horizontal cover (17) closing the passage, The plurality of dome lateral walls include a first dome lateral wall, the first dome lateral wall includes a corrugated sealing membrane (32), the corrugated sealing membrane includes at least one corrugated portion (33) protruding in a direction toward the channel, The dome structure (12) comprises: at least one insulating block (31) anchored against the lower face of the cover, the insulating block and the corrugated portion (33) being spaced apart from each other by a first distance in projection on a horizontal plane; an insulating liner comprising one or more lining elements (40, 41, 42) adjacent to the first lateral wall (15), arranged against the cover (17) and arranged between the insulating block and the first lateral wall, the lining element or each lining element (40, 41, 42) having a thickness in a direction orthogonal to the first dome lateral wall that is less than the first distance, or the lining element or each lining element (40, 41, 42) being adapted to be compressed in a direction orthogonal to the first dome lateral wall that is less than the first distance; and a retaining plate (35) anchored to the lower face of the insulating block and extending below the insulating liner.

2. The dome structure (12) according to claim 1, wherein: The retaining plate (35) is arranged at a distance from the sealing film (32).

3. The dome structure (12) according to claim 2, wherein: The distance between the retaining plate (35) and the sealing film (32) is between 5 mm and 25 mm, inclusive.

4. A dome structure (12) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The retaining plate (35) is made of wood.

5. The dome structure (12) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The at least one insulating lining element (40, 41, 42) is made of a material selected from the group consisting of glass wool, rock wool and polyester wadding.

6. The dome structure (12) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The at least one insulating lining element (40, 41, 42) is made of insulating polymer foam.

7. A dome structure (12) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The corrugated sealing membrane (32) comprises vertical corrugations, and the insulating liner comprises a plurality of lining elements (40, 41, 42), a contact element (41) of the lining elements being arranged to abut against the sealing membrane between two consecutive vertical corrugations.

8. The dome structure (12) according to claim 6 in combination with claim 7, wherein: The contact lining element (41) has a chamfered end (43).

9. The dome structure (12) according to claim 7 or 8, wherein: The contact lining element (41) has a thickness in a direction orthogonal to the lateral wall of the dome portion that is the same as the height of the corrugated portion.

10. The dome structure (12) according to claim 9, wherein: The lining elements (40, 41, 42) include a secondary lining element (42), which extends in the space between the contact lining element (41) and the insulating block (31), and has a dimension in the direction perpendicular to the symmetry plane of the vertical corrugated portion that is larger than the dimension of the contact lining element (41) in the direction perpendicular to the symmetry plane of the vertical corrugated portion.

11. A dome structure (12) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The sealing film (32) is covered with an insulating lining element in a portion arranged above the holding plate (35).

12. A dome structure (12) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: At least one insulating block is anchored to the cover by means of studs which pass completely through the at least one insulating block, a support plate is positioned against the lower face of the at least one insulating block, nuts are screwed onto the studs and hold the support plate.

13. A sealed and thermally insulated tank comprising a dome structure (12) according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

14. A sealed and thermally insulated tank according to claim 13, comprising a loading / unloading tower (21), the loading / unloading tower (21) comprising at least two vertical rods, the vertical rods passing through the cover and fixed to each other by transverse members, each of the two vertical rods forming a pipeline for loading or unloading the tank.

15. A vessel for transporting fluids, the vessel comprising a sealed and thermally insulated tank according to claim 13 or 14.

16. A transmission system for a fluid, the system comprising: A vessel according to claim 15; an isolation pipe arranged to connect the tank of the vessel to a floating storage facility or an onshore storage facility; and a pump for driving fluid to flow from the floating storage facility or the onshore storage facility through the isolated pipe to the tank of the vessel, or driving fluid to flow from the tank of the vessel through the isolated pipe to the floating storage facility or the onshore storage facility.

17. A method for assembling a dome structure (12) for a sealed and thermally insulated tank, the dome structure comprising a plurality of dome lateral walls protruding vertically from a top wall of the tank and defining a passage through which at least one pipe passes, the at least one pipe being used to load liquefied gas into or unload liquefied gas from the tank, and a horizontal cover closing the passage, the plurality of dome lateral walls (13, 14, 15, 16) comprising a first dome lateral wall (15), the first dome lateral wall (15) comprising a corrugated sealing membrane (32), the corrugated sealing membrane comprising at least one corrugated portion (33) protruding in a direction towards the passage, the dome structure (12) comprising: at least one insulating block (31) anchored against the lower face of the cover (17), the insulating block (31) and the corrugated portion (33) being spaced apart from each other by a first distance in projection on a horizontal plane, the assembly method comprising the following steps: - an insulating lining is arranged between the insulating block (31) and the first lateral wall (15), the insulating lining comprising one or more lining elements (40, 41, 42), the lining element or each lining element having a thickness in a direction normal to the first dome lateral wall that is less than the first distance, or the lining element or each lining element is compressed in a direction normal to the first lateral wall until the lining element or each lining element has a thickness in a direction normal to the first dome lateral wall that is less than the first distance, - Anchoring a retaining plate (35) to the lower surface of the insulating block, the retaining plate extending beneath the insulating liner to hold the insulating liner in place.

18. Assembly method according to the preceding claim, wherein: The at least one lining element (40, 41, 42) is vertically inserted into the space between the corrugated sealing membrane (32) and the insulating block (31), and then the at least one lining element (40, 41, 42) is moved into contact with the corrugated sealing membrane (32).

19. The assembly method according to claim 17 or 18, wherein: The at least one insulating block (31) is pre-fixed to the cover (17) by means of studs (36) which pass completely through the at least one insulating block (31), a support plate is positioned against the lower face of the at least one insulating block, nuts are screwed onto the studs and hold the support plate.

20. The assembly method according to any one of claims 17 to 19, wherein: A lining element (40, 41, 42) covers the corrugated sealing membrane (32).

21. Assembly method according to the preceding claim, wherein: The insulating liner comprises a plurality of lining elements (40, 41, 42), wherein the plurality of lining elements (40, 41, 42) comprise a contact lining element (41) and a secondary lining element (42), and the step of arranging the insulating liner comprises: - arranging the contact lining element (41) between two consecutive vertical corrugations, the contact lining element having the same height as the height of the corrugations, - The secondary lining element is arranged in a gap (34) between the contact lining element (41) and the at least one insulating block (31), and the secondary lining element has a dimension in a direction perpendicular to the plane of symmetry of the corrugated portion that is longer than the dimension of the contact lining element in a direction perpendicular to the plane of symmetry of the corrugated portion.

22. Assembly method according to the preceding claim, wherein: The end (43) of the contact lining element (41) is chamfered before the contact lining element is inserted into the space between the corrugated sealing membrane (32) and the insulating block (31).

23. A method of loading or unloading a vessel according to claim 15, wherein: Fluid is led from a floating storage facility or an onshore storage facility through an insulated pipeline to the tank of the vessel, or fluid is led from the tank of the vessel through an insulated pipeline to the floating storage facility or an onshore storage facility.

Images