Anchoring device for fixing insulation block

Abstract

The invention relates to an anchoring device comprising:-a clamping assembly comprising a lower plate, an upper plate parallel to the lower plate, a connecting member connecting the lower plate to the upper plate, and a spacer block; -an anchoring rod protruding from the clamping assembly perpendicular to the lower plate in an anchoring direction of the anchoring device, the anchoring rod having a lower end for attachment to the support wall and an upper end opposite the lower end and coupled to the lower plate, said spacer block being disposed between the lower plate and the upper plate to define a spacing between the lower plate and the upper plate, the spacer block is at least partially made of plywood comprising a plurality of wooden plies disposed against each other and parallel to a plate plane of the spacer block oriented to extend perpendicular to the lower plate and the upper plate of the clamp assembly.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of sealed and thermally insulated tanks incorporated into a supporting structure to contain cold fluids, in particular membrane tanks for containing liquefied gases, and in particular to the field of mechanical anchoring devices that can be used for the walls of such tanks.

[0002] The invention relates in particular to the field of sealed and thermally insulated tanks for the storage and / or transport of liquefied gases at low temperatures, such as tanks for the transport of liquefied natural gas (LNG) at about -162° C. at atmospheric pressure, liquid hydrogen (LH2) at -253° C. at atmospheric pressure, ammonia (NH3) at -30° C. at atmospheric pressure, or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) at temperatures between, for example, -50° C. and 0° C., inclusive. These tanks may be located on land or on floating structures.

[0003] For floating structures, the tanks may be used to transport liquefied gas or to receive liquefied gas as fuel for propelling the floating structure. Background Art

[0004] For example, it is known from document FR3110951 that a sealed and thermally insulated liquefied natural gas storage tank is arranged in a supporting structure, and the wall of the tank has a multi-layer structure, that is, from the outside to the inside of the tank there are: a secondary thermal insulation barrier anchored against the supporting structure, a secondary sealing membrane supported by the secondary thermal insulation barrier, a primary thermal insulation barrier supported by the secondary sealing membrane, and a primary sealing membrane supported by the primary thermal insulation barrier and intended to be in contact with the liquefied natural gas stored in the tank.

[0005] The primary thermal insulation barrier and the secondary thermal insulation barrier each comprise a respective set of primary or secondary modular insulation blocks of substantially parallelepiped shape, which are juxtaposed and thus form a support surface for the respective sealing membrane. The insulation blocks are anchored to the support structure by anchoring means, which are fixed to the support structure and are positioned at the corners of the primary and secondary insulation blocks. Thus, each anchoring means cooperates with the corners of four adjacent secondary insulation blocks and with the corners of four adjacent primary insulation blocks to hold them on the support structure.

[0006] The anchoring device is installed when the insulation block is installed on the supporting structure at the ship construction site. Summary of the invention

[0007] The known anchoring device comprises a clamping assembly comprising a lower plate, an upper plate parallel to the lower plate, a connecting member connecting the lower plate to the upper plate, and a rigid spacer block disposed between the lower plate and the upper plate, defining a minimum spacing between the lower plate and the upper plate at a position where the lower plate and the upper plate abut against the spacer block. The spacing defined by the spacer block has very precise dimensions that must be obtained in order to construct the wall of the tank.

[0008] The spacer block is made of, for example, plywood with a plurality of plies arranged parallel to the board plane parallel to the lower and upper boards, which enables convenient machining in a direction perpendicular to the board plane. The spacer block is cut to have a thickness that corresponds exactly to the minimum spacing.

[0009] However, the properties of plywood are such that the dimensions of the cut spacer pieces will vary depending on the environmental conditions in which they are used, in particular the ambient relative humidity.

[0010] In order to use them correctly, the spacer blocks must be stored on site for days or even weeks before they are used. The spacer blocks are then deformed according to the ambient relative humidity conditions and all are then calibrated before use: the spacer blocks are cut again to ensure that their thickness measured perpendicular to the lower and upper plates corresponds to the set point spacing distance with the required accuracy.

[0011] For example, with 174,000m 3 A tank ship may comprise approximately 12,000 anchoring devices and therefore 12,000 spacer blocks. These storage and calibration steps are therefore both time-consuming and costly.

[0012] To this end, the present invention proposes an anchoring device for holding an insulating block against a supporting wall, the anchoring device comprising:

[0013] - a clamping assembly comprising a lower plate, an upper plate parallel to the lower plate, connecting members connecting the lower plate to the upper plate, and a spacer block,

[0014] an anchoring rod protruding from the clamping assembly perpendicularly to the lower plate in an anchoring direction of the anchoring device, the anchoring rod having a lower end for attachment to the supporting wall and an upper end opposite to the lower end, the upper end being coupled to the lower plate,

[0015] The spacer block is disposed between the lower plate and the upper plate to define a spacing between the lower plate and the upper plate,

[0016] The spacer block is at least partially made of plywood comprising a plurality of wood plies arranged against each other and parallel to a board plane of the spacer block, the board plane of the spacer block being oriented to extend perpendicularly to the lower and upper plates of the clamping assembly.

[0017] Due to these features, the spacer block of the anchoring device is not easily deformed by relative humidity in a direction perpendicular to the lower and upper plates where the spacing is measured. Therefore, it is no longer necessary to store the spacer blocks on site or to calibrate the spacer blocks before use.

[0018] According to other advantageous embodiments, the spacer block of such an anchoring device may have one or more of the following features.

[0019] According to one embodiment, the plies of the plywood of the spacer block are each made from one of the following woods: birch, spruce and eucalyptus.

[0020] According to one embodiment, the plywood of the spacer block comprises a number of wood plies per centimeter in a direction orthogonal to the plane of the board of between 4 and 8 inclusive, preferably between 7 and 8 inclusive.

[0021] According to one embodiment, the profile of the spacer block of the anchoring device in a plane orthogonal to the anchoring direction has the same shape and size as the profile of the lower plate in this orthogonal plane.

[0022] According to one embodiment, the spacer block of the anchoring device is made in one piece.The spacer block is then made entirely of plywood.

[0023] According to one embodiment, the spacer block of the anchoring device comprises a plurality of individual parts.The spacer block is then preferably made partly of plywood.

[0024] According to one embodiment, the spacer block of the anchoring device comprises two separate lateral parts, each of which is made of a plywood board comprising a plurality of wood plies arranged against each other and parallel to the board plane of the spacer block.

[0025] According to one embodiment, the spacer block of the anchoring device comprises a central portion located between two lateral portions.

[0026] According to one embodiment, the central portion of the spacer block of the anchoring device is made of a material other than plywood, such as glass wool, and has a thermal conductivity of less than 0.050 W / m·K.

[0027] According to one embodiment, the central part of the spacer block of the anchoring device is made of an insulating material selected from glass wool, rock wool, cellulose filler, flexible foam, thermoplastic foam, melamine foam, rigid foam, polyurethane foam optionally reinforced with glass fibers.

[0028] This solution advantageously enables the use of a smaller amount of plywood. Furthermore, the cutting of the plywood is simplified. Such a central portion has only a thermal function and also enables the overall thermal performance of the anchoring device to be improved.

[0029] According to one embodiment, the spacer block of the anchoring device has a lower face and an upper face that are opposite and parallel to each other, the lower face is used to support against the lower plate of the anchoring device, and the upper face is used to support against the upper plate of the anchoring device, the lower face and the upper face are connected by longitudinal sides and transverse sides that are perpendicular to each other and perpendicular to the lower face and the upper face, and the plate plane of the spacer block is oriented to be parallel to one of the longitudinal sides or one of the transverse sides of the spacer block.

[0030] According to one embodiment, the spacer block of the anchoring device has a lower face for orientation towards the lower plate and comprises a housing opening onto said lower face, said housing being suitable for receiving the upper end of the anchoring rod.

[0031] According to one embodiment, the spacer block of the anchoring device has an upper face for orientation towards the upper plate, a central hole in the upper face opening into the housing.

[0032] According to one embodiment, the spacer block of the anchoring device comprises at least two lateral through-holes, each of which is suitable for passing a connecting rod of a connecting member through it.

[0033] According to one embodiment, the clamping assembly of the anchoring device comprises at least two connecting rods which are arranged symmetrically with respect to the central hole of the spacer block.Due to these features, the forces can be distributed in a balanced manner in the clamping assembly.

[0034] According to one embodiment, the clamping assembly of the anchoring device has the overall shape of a parallelepiped, the lower plate and the upper plate each having a rectangular outline.

[0035] According to one embodiment, the clamping assembly of the anchoring device forms a secondary clamping member for cooperating with the secondary insulating barrier, the upper plate comprising a central hole into which a stud protruding from the clamping assembly on the side opposite to the anchoring rod is screwed, said stud carrying a primary clamping member for cooperating with the primary insulating barrier.

[0036] According to one embodiment, the anchoring device further comprises a bushing engaged on the lower end of the anchor rod and used for fixing to the supporting wall, the bushing comprising a receiving portion for receiving the lower end of the anchor rod to form a universal joint.

[0037] According to one embodiment, the anchor rod, the lower plate and the upper plate of the anchoring device are made of metal.

[0038] According to one embodiment, the insulating block is part of a thermal insulation barrier and the insulating block comprises a cover plate defining a support surface for a sealing membrane of the thermal insulation barrier. The insulating block further comprises a polymer foam block and a base plate parallel to and spaced apart from the cover plate, the polymer foam block being reinforced by fibers, the polymer foam block being arranged between the cover plate and the base plate. The lower plate of the anchoring device cooperates directly or indirectly with said base plate of the insulating block without exerting any clamping force on the polymer foam block. For example, the lower plate of the anchoring device cooperates with the base plate via a rigid element, which rigid element is, for example, a spacer component, a column and / or a slat made of plywood.

[0039] According to one embodiment, the insulating block comprises a bottom plate and in turn an intermediate plate and a cover plate parallel to the bottom plate and spaced apart from each other, and two polymer foam blocks, which may be reinforced with fibers, arranged between the cover plate and the intermediate plate and between the intermediate plate and the bottom plate, respectively. The lower plate of the anchoring device directly cooperates with the intermediate plate in the corner area.

[0040] According to one embodiment, the thermal insulation barrier is a secondary thermal insulation barrier, the insulation block is a secondary insulation block, and the sealing membrane is a secondary sealing membrane, the tank wall also includes a primary thermal insulation barrier resting against the secondary sealing membrane and a primary sealing membrane resting against the primary thermal insulation barrier and used to contact the fluid contained in the tank, the primary thermal insulation barrier includes primary insulation blocks each stacked on one of the secondary insulation blocks, and the studs pass through the secondary sealing membrane in a sealed manner, and the primary clamping member supports the multiple primary insulation blocks stacked on the multiple secondary insulation blocks in the direction of the supporting wall, thereby maintaining the multiple primary insulation blocks in the direction of the supporting wall.

[0041] According to one embodiment, the present invention also provides a sealed and thermally insulated tank for storing fluid, the tank comprising a supporting wall, a tank wall and an anchoring device fixed to the supporting wall, the tank wall comprising a thermal insulation barrier and a sealing film resting against the thermal insulation barrier in sequence from the outside to the inside of the tank in the thickness direction,

[0042] In the tank, the thermal insulation barrier includes parallelepiped-shaped insulation blocks juxtaposed on a supporting wall, and the insulation blocks are clamped in the direction of the supporting wall by means of multiple anchoring devices, wherein at least one anchoring device is the device as described above, the lower end of the anchoring rod is fixed to the supporting wall between the multiple insulation blocks, and the lower plate of the anchoring device cooperates with the multiple insulation blocks to clamp the multiple insulation blocks in the direction of the supporting wall.

[0043] According to one embodiment, the fluid is a liquefied gas, such as liquefied natural gas (LNG), liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), liquefied ethylene or liquid ammonia.

[0044] Such tanks may form part of a land storage facility, a seabed storage facility, for example for storing LNG, or be installed in a floating structure either coastal or in deep water, in particular a methane tanker vessel, a floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU), a floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) unit or the like.

[0045] According to one embodiment, a vessel for transporting fluids comprises a catamaran and a tank as described above arranged in the catamaran. According to one embodiment, the catamaran comprises an inner hull forming a supporting wall of the tank.

[0046] According to one embodiment, the present invention also provides a system for transporting fluid, which includes a ship as described above, an isolated pipeline and a pump, wherein the isolated pipeline is arranged to connect a tank installed in the hull of the ship to a floating or land storage facility, and the pump is used to pump the fluid from the floating or land storage facility to the tank of the ship or from the tank of the ship to the floating or land storage facility through the isolated pipeline.

[0047] According to one embodiment, the present invention also provides a method of assembling an anchoring device as described above, wherein the anchoring device is assembled without correcting the dimensions of the spacer blocks after storing the anchoring device under the relative humidity conditions in which the anchoring device is used.

[0048] According to one embodiment, the invention also provides a method of loading or unloading such a vessel, wherein fluid is transferred from a floating or land storage facility to a tank of the vessel or from a tank of the vessel to a floating or land storage facility via an isolated pipeline. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

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

[0050] Figure 1 It is a cutaway stereogram of the tank wall.

[0051] Figure 2 Yes Figure 1 Side view of the tank wall as seen in the direction of arrow II.

[0052] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 A partial cross-sectional view of one embodiment of an anchoring device for use in a tank wall.

[0053] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 A perspective view of a first embodiment of a spacer block of an anchoring device.

[0054] Figure 5 yes Figure 3 A perspective view of a second embodiment of a spacer block of an anchoring device.

[0055] Figure 6 It is a partial perspective view of another embodiment of the anchor device of the third embodiment equipped with a spacer block.

[0056] Figure 7 is from Figure 2 Schematic diagram seen above the tank wall in FIG. 1 , showing the location of the anchoring device.

[0057] Figure 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a methane tanker vessel's tank and a dock for loading / unloading the tank. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0058] By convention, the terms "lower" and "upper" are used to define the position of one element relative to another element in the direction of the exterior or interior of the tank, respectively, as Figure 1 Horizontal wall shown. However, the following description applies to any wall, regardless of its orientation in the Earth's gravitational field.

[0059] exist Figure 1 In the figure, a multilayer structure of a wall 1 of a sealed and thermally insulated tank for storing liquefied fluids, such as liquefied natural gas (LNG), is shown. The tank wall 1 comprises, in order from the outside to the inside of the tank in the thickness direction, a secondary thermal insulation barrier 3 held on a support wall 2, a secondary sealing film 4 resting against the secondary thermal insulation barrier 3, a primary thermal insulation barrier 5 resting against the secondary sealing film 4, and a primary sealing film 6 for contact with the liquefied natural gas contained in the tank ( Figure 1 and Figure 2 ).

[0060] The supporting wall 2 may in particular be formed by a hull or catamaran of a vessel.The supporting wall 2 is typically part of a supporting structure comprising a plurality of walls defining the overall shape of the tank, typically a polyhedral shape.

[0061] The secondary thermal insulation barrier 3 comprises a plurality of secondary insulation blocks 7 which are anchored to the support wall 2 by anchoring means 20 described in detail below. The secondary insulation blocks 7 have the general shape of a parallelepiped and are arranged in parallel rows.

[0062] The secondary sealing membrane 4 comprises a continuous layer of sheet metal strips 8 with raised edges. The raised edges of the sheet metal strips 8 are welded to parallel welding supports fixed in grooves 9 in the cover plate of the secondary insulating block 7 ( Figure 1 ). The metal strip 8 is made of, for example Made of: that is, the expansion coefficient is usually 1.2×10 -6 K -1 With 2×10 -6 K -1 Iron-nickel alloys with expansion coefficients between 7×10 -6 K -1 With 1×10 -5 K -1 Iron-manganese alloys between and including the endpoint values.

[0063] The primary thermal insulation barrier 5 comprises a plurality of primary insulation blocks 11, which have the overall shape of a parallelepiped, and the length and width dimensions of the primary insulation blocks 11 are the same as those of the secondary insulation blocks 7. Each of the primary insulation blocks 11 is positioned to align with one of the secondary insulation blocks 7, and is aligned with the secondary insulation blocks 7 in the thickness direction D of the tank wall 1 ( Figure 1 and Figure 2 ).

[0064] The primary sealing membrane 6 can be produced in various ways. Here, the primary sealing membrane 6 comprises a continuous layer of a metal sheet strip 8 with a raised edge. Like the secondary sealing membrane 4, the raised edge of the metal sheet strip 8 is welded to parallel welding supports, which are fixed in grooves in the cover plate of the primary insulating block 11.

[0065] exist Figure 1 In the figure, the secondary insulating block 7 is omitted to show the thickness spacers 12 and the adhesive beads 13, which are used to compensate for the flatness defects of the support wall 2. Positioning spacers, not shown, may also be provided, as described in the publication WO-A-2018069585.

[0066] The anchoring devices 20 are preferably positioned at four corners of the secondary insulating blocks 7 and the primary insulating blocks 11. Each stack including the secondary insulating blocks 7 and the primary insulating blocks 11 is anchored to the supporting wall 2 by four anchoring devices 20. In addition, each anchoring device 20 cooperates with the corners of the adjacent four secondary insulating blocks 7 and the corners of the adjacent four primary insulating blocks 11.

[0067] refer to Figure 2 , shows in more detail the structure of the secondary insulating blocks 7 and the primary insulating blocks 11 of the tank wall according to one embodiment of the invention. Here, each secondary insulating block 7 comprises an insulating polymer foam layer 16A sandwiched between a bottom plate 14A and a cover plate 15A. The bottom plate 14A and the cover plate 15A are made of plywood, for example. The insulating polymer foam layer 16A is bonded to the bottom plate 14A and the cover plate 15A. The insulating polymer foam can in particular be a polyurethane-based foam, optionally reinforced with fibers.

[0068] Figure 7 The positioning of the anchoring devices 20 between the corners of four adjacent secondary insulating blocks 7, seen from above, according to one embodiment is shown in more detail. The anchoring devices 20 are represented by the outline of the clamping assembly 30. The bottom plate 14A of each secondary insulating block 7 comprises a cutout 52 in the region of its corners to release a space 55 in the form of a rectangular chimney which receives the anchoring devices 20.

[0069] The cover plate 15A and insulating polymer foam layer 16A of the secondary insulating block 7 include openings 53 in the form of rectangular chimneys which allow corner portions 54 ( Figure 7 The corner portion 54 is used to allow the anchor device 20 to be supported directly or indirectly thereon, such as via a pad member 50 described below or a rigid element fastened to the base plate 14A, such as a corner column.

[0070] Next, refer to Figures 2 to 6 The structures of the anchoring device 20 and the spacer block 33 will be described.

[0071] The anchoring device 20 mainly comprises a clamping assembly 30 and an anchoring rod 22. The anchoring rod 22 has a lower end for attachment to the supporting wall 2 and an upper end opposite to the lower end, the upper end being coupled to the lower plate 31 so as to be able to apply traction to the lower plate in the direction of the lower end of the anchoring rod 22.

[0072] The lower end of the anchor rod 22 is received in a bushing 23, the bottom of which is welded to the support wall 2 at a central position of the space 55 between the corner regions of four adjacent secondary insulating blocks 7. The bushing 23 forms a universal joint for the anchor rod 22. For example, the bushing accommodates a nut 18, into which the lower end of the anchor rod 22 is screwed. The anchor rod 22 extends along a longitudinal axis X parallel to the thickness direction D of the tank wall 1 and passes between adjacent secondary insulating blocks 7. This longitudinal axis X defines the anchoring direction of the anchoring device.

[0073] The clamping assembly 30 includes a lower plate 31, a spacer block 33 and an upper plate 32 in sequence from the outside to the inside of the tank in the thickness direction D of the tank wall. Figure 3 and Figure 6 ).

[0074] The lower plate 31 and the upper plate 32 each have a generally cuboid shape comprising two opposite main faces parallel to the support wall 2 and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis X of the anchor rod 22 , ie perpendicular to the anchor loop direction.

[0075] The lower plate 31 and the upper plate 32 are made of metal.

[0076] The outline of the spacer block 33 in a plane orthogonal to the anchoring direction has the same shape and size as the outline of the lower plate 32 in the orthogonal plane. Therefore, the outline of the spacer block 33 is also rectangular and has the same size as the lower plate 32.

[0077] Alternatively, the profile shape of the clamp assembly 30 may be different, such as hexagonal or circular.

[0078] Therefore, the spacer block 33 here has a shape inscribed in a rectangular block. Alternatively, the spacer block 33 may have a shape inscribed in a cylinder or a hexagonal prism.

[0079] The spacer block 33 has a parallel lower face 48A and an upper face 48B. Here, the upper face 48B and the lower face 48A are connected by two parallel lateral faces 49A, 49B. When the spacer block 33 is located in the anchoring device 20, the lower face 48A and the upper face 48B are adjacent to the lower plate 31 and the upper plate 32.

[0080] The clamp assembly 30 also includes a connecting member connecting the lower plate 31 to the upper plate 32 .

[0081] Here, the connection member comprises two connection rods in the form of two fixing screws 34 , each of which passes through the lower plate 31 , the upper plate 32 and the spacer block 33 .

[0082] To this end, the lower plate 31 comprises two threaded holes 46B extending in the anchoring direction, and the upper plate 32 comprises two through holes 46A arranged facing the threaded holes 46B in the lower plate 31 .

[0083] The spacer block 33 further comprises two lateral through-orifices, for example two holes 46, which pass through the spacer block 33 in a hole direction DP which is perpendicular to the lower face 48A and the upper face 48B and thus to the lower plate 31 and the upper plate 32 when the spacer block 33 is in place in the anchor device 20. This hole direction DP is parallel to the longitudinal axis X of the anchor rod 22 and to the thickness direction D of the tank wall when the anchor device 20 is positioned in the tank wall. The two holes 46 are arranged in a corresponding relationship with the threaded hole 46B of the lower plate 31 and the through hole 46A of the upper plate 31 when the spacer block 33 is in place in the anchor device 20.

[0084] In the anchor device 20 , two fixing screws 34 are engaged in the lower plate 31 through the through holes 46A of the upper plate 31 , the holes 46 of the spacer block 33 , and the threaded holes 46B.

[0085] The two fixing screws 34 connect the lower plate 31 and the upper plate 32 to the spacer block 33 .

[0086] The lower end 35 of each set screw 34 is threaded and is screwed into a threaded hole 46B in the lower plate 31 .

[0087] At the opposite end, each fixing screw comprises a head 36, for example a cylindrical head, which is slidably received in a through hole 46A in the upper plate 32. Each through hole 46A comprises a shoulder on which the head 36 of the fixing screw 34 bears at the end of the screwing stroke to clamp the upper plate 32 and the lower plate 31 against the spacer block 33. The upper plate 32 and the lower plate 31 are then in position against the spacer block 33. In this position, the upper plate 32 bears against the upper face 48B of the spacer block 33, while the lower plate 33 bears against the lower face 48A of the spacer block 33.

[0088] The thickness of the spacer block 33, that is, the distance between the lower face 48A and the upper face 48B of the spacer block 33, defines the minimum spacing between the lower plate 31 and the upper plate 32. This minimum spacing is achieved at the abutment position of the lower plate 31 and the upper plate 32, such as Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the lower plate 31 and the upper plate 32 abut against the lower face 48A and the upper face 48B of the spacer block 33, respectively.

[0089] In this abutment position, the inner face of the upper plate 32 oriented towards the secondary sealing membrane 4 must be precisely aligned with the inner face of the cover plate 15A of each secondary insulating block 7 held by the anchoring means 20 in order to provide a planar bearing surface to receive the secondary sealing membrane 4 .

[0090] If the fixing screw 34 is not screwed to the end of its screwing stroke position, the spacing between the lower plate 31 and the upper plate 32 may be larger than the minimum spacing.

[0091] The spacer block 33 is at least partially made of plywood. Plywood is a material comprising a plurality of plies arranged parallel and against each other, each ply being made of wood. In the spacer device 33 of the anchor device 20, the plies of plywood are oriented parallel to the board planes PP1, PP2 of the spacer block 33.

[0092] It is noteworthy that when the spacer block 33 is in place in the anchoring device 20, the plate planes PP1, PP2, PP3 of the spacer block 33 are oriented to extend perpendicularly to the lower plate 31 and the upper plate 32 of the clamping assembly and parallel to the anchoring direction of the anchoring device 20.

[0093] Figures 3 to 6 Three embodiments of spacer blocks of an anchoring device according to the invention are schematically shown.

[0094] Figures 3 to 6 The same or corresponding elements are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0095] exist Figures 3 to 6 In the three embodiments shown, the spacer blocks have the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped inscribed therein and of equal dimensions. The thickness E of the spacer blocks measured in the anchoring direction of the anchoring device 20 is equal to 52 millimeters (mm), the width W of the spacer blocks is equal to 55 mm, and the length of the spacer blocks is equal to 120 mm. Please note that these dimensions are given only as an example. The spacer blocks may have other dimensions without departing from the scope of the invention.

[0096] In the above example, the thickness E of the spacer block 33 is precisely measured to within 0.5 mm to 0.8 mm so as to be able to receive the secondary sealing membrane 4 .

[0097] The plies of plywood forming the spacer blocks are preferably made from one of the following wood species: birch, spruce and eucalyptus.

[0098] The plywood preferably comprises a number of plies per centimeter measured in a direction perpendicular to the plies, between 4 and 8 plies per centimeter and inclusive, preferably between 7 and 8 plies per centimeter and inclusive.

[0099] exist Figure 4 and Figure 5 In the first and second embodiments of the spacer block 33 shown in FIG, the spacer block 33 is made as a single piece.

[0100] The plate planes PP1 , PP2 of the spacer block 33 are then preferably oriented parallel to one of the lateral faces 49A, 49B of the spacer block 33 .

[0101] exist Figure 4 In the example of , the plate plane PP1 of the spacer block 33 is parallel to the lateral side 49B extending over the width of the spacer block 33 .

[0102] Then, for example, you can create Figure 4 Spacer block 33 in the example: A plywood sheet with a thickness of 120 mm is cut so that the length L of the spacer block 33 extends over the thickness of the plywood sheet. The plywood sheet extends in an average plane parallel to the plies. The thickness of the plywood sheet is therefore measured in a direction perpendicular to the plies.

[0103] exist Figure 5 In the example of FIG. 3 , the plate plane PP2 of the spacer block 33 is parallel to the longitudinal side 49A extending over the length of the spacer block 33 .

[0104] Then, for example, you can create Figure 5 Spacer block 33 in the example: A plywood sheet with a thickness of 55 mm is cut so that the width W of the spacer block 33 extends over the thickness of the plywood sheet.

[0105] Whatever the embodiment, the spacer block 33 comprises a housing 45 open onto the lower face 48A of the spacer block, which receives the upper end 44 of the anchor rod 22, as described below. Here, the housing 45 comprises a parallelepiped portion open onto the longitudinal side faces 49A of the spacer block 33 and onto the lower face 48A of the spacer block 33.

[0106] Furthermore, the spacer block 33 comprises a central hole 45A forming a cylindrical portion of the housing 45 opening into its upper face 48B. This central hole 45A is centred on the longitudinal axis X of the anchor rod 22 and is suitable for receiving the upper end 44 of the anchor rod 22.

[0107] In the first and second embodiments of the spacer block, the receiving portion 45 is made by machining plywood. The machined receiving portion has a length of 55 mm, for example, and extends to the entire width of the spacer block, ie, 55 mm.

[0108] exist Figure 6 In the third embodiment shown in , the spacer block 33 comprises a plurality of separate components.

[0109] More precisely, the spacer block 33 comprises two separate lateral portions 33A, each of which is made of plywood, so that the plate plane PP3 of the spacer block 33 extends perpendicularly to said lower and upper plates of the clamping assembly 20 and parallel to the lateral sides 49B of the spacer block extending over the width W of the spacer block. Each lateral portion 33A is a parallelepiped and forms one of the lateral sides 49B of the spacer block 33. Here, each lateral portion 33A comprises one of the two holes 46 of the spacer block 33.

[0110] The spacer block 33 also comprises a central portion 33B located between the two lateral portions 33A.

[0111] The central portion 33B may not contain any material, such as Figure 6 The housing 45 and the central hole 45A of the spacer block then comprise the space between the two lateral portions 33A. This configuration simplifies the production of the spacer block and saves plywood.

[0112] Alternatively, the central portion 33B may be an element with thermal functionality, for example selected from glass wool, rock wool, cellulose wadding, flexible foam, thermoplastic foam, melamine foam, rigid foam, polyurethane foam optionally reinforced with glass fibers. This configuration makes it possible to simplify the anchoring device and improve its thermal performance.

[0113] In this variation, the central portion 33B of the spacer block 33 includes the above-mentioned central hole 45A. The central portion 33B preferably leaves a portion of the space between the two lateral portions 33A of the spacer block 33 to form a receiving portion 45.

[0114] The lateral portions 33A and the central portion 33B are adapted to form a housing 45 between them. The thickness E1 of the central portion 33B is equal to 30 mm, for example.

[0115] To this end, the lateral portions 33A of the spacer block 33 are, for example, cut from plywood of standard thickness equal to 30 mm. The dimension L1 of each lateral portion 33A along the length of the spacer block 33 is then equal to 30 mm ( Figure 6 ).

[0116] Alternatively, the lateral portion 33A of the spacer block 33 can be made by cutting from plywood of standard thickness equal to 35 mm and then machining to obtain a dimension L1 equal to 32.5 mm. This method produces a spacer block of the same dimensions as the spacer block according to one of the first and second embodiments described above.

[0117] Each lateral portion 33A includes a hole in the aperture 46 for receiving one of the two set screws 34 .

[0118] Whatever the embodiment of the spacer block, the lower plate 31 also comprises a central hole 41 allowing the upper end 44 of the anchor rod 22 to pass therethrough.

[0119] The receiving portion 45 in the spacer block 33 is disposed facing the central hole 41 of the lower plate 31 .

[0120] The upper end 44 of the anchor rod 22 passes through the central hole 41 of the lower plate 31 and is received in a receptacle 45 in the spacer block 33 ( Figures 3 to 6 The nut 42 cooperates with the thread at the upper end 44 of the anchor rod 22, thereby holding the lower plate 31 in the direction of the support wall 2 by supporting the inner surface of the lower plate 31 ( Figure 3 ).

[0121] The lower plate 31 is held by the anchor rods 22 supporting against the corner portions 54 of each of the four adjacent secondary insulating blocks 7 in the direction of the supporting wall 2. Here, a spacer portion 50 is provided between the lower plate 31 and the front portion 54 of each of the secondary insulating blocks 7, thereby transmitting the clamping force to the bottom plate 14A.

[0122] In the illustrated embodiment, the anchoring device 20 also includes one or more Belleville spring washers 43 ( Figure 3 ). A spring washer 43 is screwed onto the anchor rod 22 between the nut 42 and the lower plate 31, which enables the secondary insulating block 7 to be elastically anchored on the supporting wall 2. Furthermore, it is advantageous that a locking member is locally welded to the upper end of the anchor rod 22 to prevent the nut 42 from loosening.

[0123] The tank wall 1 can be limited to a secondary insulating barrier 3 and a secondary sealing membrane 4 to produce a single membrane tank. If a primary insulating barrier 5 and a primary sealing membrane 6 are present, the anchoring device 20 also comprises a primary stage. To this end, the upper plate 32 has a threaded hole 47 in the center, in which the threaded base of the stud 27 is mounted for anchoring the primary insulating block 11. The stud 27 passes through the hole in the metal strip 8 of the secondary sealing membrane 4. The stud 27 comprises a flange which is welded to the periphery around the hole to seal the secondary sealing membrane 4.

[0124] The primary part of the anchoring device 20 also comprises a primary bearing plate 28, which bears on a bearing area 60 of each of the four adjacent primary insulating blocks 11 in the direction of the supporting wall 2, thereby holding the primary insulating blocks against the secondary sealing membrane 4. Each bearing area 60 is formed, for example, by a bearing block 60. Alternatively, the bearing area may be formed by a protruding portion of the bottom plate of the primary insulating block.

[0125] The gap between the insulating polymer foam layers 16B of the two primary insulating blocks is filled with a thermal insulating material 61 ( Figure 2 ), such as glass wool, wadding, expanded polystyrene or polyurethane foam.

[0126] The nut 29 cooperates with the thread at the upper end of the stud 27 to fix the primary support plate 28 to the stud 2 ( Figure 3 In the embodiment shown, the anchoring device 20 also comprises a Belleville spring washer which is screwed onto the stud 27 between a nut 29 and the primary support plate 28 , thereby enabling the primary insulating block 11 to be elastically anchored on the secondary sealing membrane 4 .

[0127] The spacer part 50 of the anchoring device 20 comprises a central through-receiving portion 51 for passing the anchoring rod 22, an upper end surface 56 for bearing on the lower plate 31, and a lower end surface 57 for bearing on the secondary insulating block 7. The spacer part 50 is made of plywood, for example, to limit thermal bridging. The spacer block 50 preferably has the same rectangular cross-section as the lower plate 3. The spacer block 50 can be formed by a small number of elongated parts having a simple shape and assembled together, for example connected together with staples, screws and / or glue.

[0128] In a manner not shown, the central through-receiver 51 is filled around the anchor rod 22 with a thermally insulating material, for example glass wool, filler material, expanded polystyrene or polyurethane foam.

[0129] When the tank is empty and at ambient temperature, ie in its initial construction condition, the position of the upper plate 32 is adjusted so that it is aligned with the cover plate 15A, thereby providing a uniform support surface for the secondary sealing membrane 4 .

[0130] It is worth noting that thanks to the anchor device according to the invention it is possible to assemble the anchor device and use it directly to construct the tank wall without having to correct the dimensions of the spacer blocks 33 after storing the anchor device 20 under the relative humidity conditions in which it is used.

[0131] Due to these features, the spacer block 33 is not susceptible to deformation related to relative humidity in a direction perpendicular to the lower and upper plates where the minimum spacing is measured. Therefore, it is no longer necessary to store the spacer block 33 on site or to calibrate the spacer block 33 before use.

[0132] The spacer block 33 is first cut to the required thickness in the anchoring direction, here 52 mm, and with the required accuracy, here for example 0.5 mm to 0.8 mm and inclusive. The spacer block 33 is installed directly in the tank wall without prior storage to adapt to relative humidity conditions or to adjust its thickness.

[0133] The structure of the secondary insulating block 7 is described above by way of example. Furthermore, in another embodiment of the tank, the secondary insulating block may have a different overall structure, such as the structure described in document WO-A-2012127141. The secondary insulating block is then made in the form of a box-like member, which includes a bottom plate, a cover plate and a supporting web, which extends between the bottom plate and the cover plate in the thickness direction of the tank wall and defines a plurality of compartments, which are filled with insulating fillers, such as perlite, glass wool or rock wool.

[0134] In another embodiment of the tank, the secondary insulating block can have a different overall structure, such as the structure described in document WO-A-2014096600. The insulating polymer foam layer is then divided into a lower layer and an upper layer by an intermediate plate, such as an intermediate plate made of plywood, to which it is bonded. The length of the upper layer is shorter than that of the lower layer, and the edges are exposed at the two longitudinal ends of the intermediate plate. In the openings at the four corners of the lower layer between the intermediate plate and the bottom plate of each second insulating block, the rigid column extends in the thickness direction of the lower layer. The rigid column is partially aligned with the edge to absorb the clamping force of the anchoring device, and the lower plate of the anchoring device can be applied directly to the edge here.

[0135] The primary insulating block 11 may be made in different ways, for example in the form of an insulating polymer foam layer 16B sandwiched between a bottom plate 14B and a cover plate 15B, just like the secondary insulating block 7 .

[0136] The bottom plate 14B of each primary insulating block 11 then comprises a groove for receiving the raised edge of the strip 8 of the secondary sealing membrane 4. The cover plate 15B of each primary insulating block 11 also comprises a groove for receiving a welding support for fixing the primary sealing membrane 6.

[0137] The structure of the primary insulating plate 11 is described above by way of example. Furthermore, in another embodiment of the tank, the primary insulating plate 22 may have a different overall structure, such as that described in document WO-A-2012127141.

[0138] The above described technique for producing tank walls comprising only one or two sealing membranes can also be used for different types of tanks, for example double membrane tanks for liquefied natural gas (LNG) in land installations or in floating structures such as methane tanker ships.

[0139] See also Figure 8 , a cross-sectional view of a ship 70 shows a sealed and thermally insulated tank 71 installed in a double hull 72 of the ship, the sealed and thermally insulated tank 71 having an overall prismatic shape. The wall of the tank 71 includes a primary sealing barrier for contact with the liquefied gas contained in the tank, a secondary sealing barrier arranged between the primary sealing barrier and the double hull 72 of the ship, and two insulating barriers arranged between the primary sealing barrier and the secondary sealing barrier and between the secondary sealing barrier and the double hull 72, respectively.

[0140] In a manner known per se, a loading / unloading pipe 73 provided on the top deck of the vessel can be connected to an offshore or port terminal by means of appropriate connectors to transfer the liquefied gas cargo from or to the tank 71 .

[0141] Figure 8 An example of an offshore terminal is shown, which includes a loading and unloading station 75, an underwater pipeline 76 and a land facility 77. The loading and unloading station 75 is a fixed offshore facility, which includes a mobile arm 74 and a tower 78 supporting the mobile arm 74. The mobile arm 74 carries a bundle of insulated flexible pipes 79, which can be connected to the loading and unloading pipeline 73. The orientable mobile arm 74 is suitable for ships of all sizes. The connecting pipeline, not shown, extends inside the tower 78. The loading and unloading station 75 enables the loading of a ship 70 from a land facility 77 or the unloading of a ship 70 from a ship 70 to a land facility 77. The land facility 77 includes a liquefied gas storage tank 80 and a connecting pipeline 81 connected to the loading and unloading station 75 by an underwater pipeline 76. The underwater pipeline 76 enables the liquefied gas to be transferred between the loading and unloading station 75 and the land facility 77 over a long distance, for example, a distance of 5 kilometers, which enables the ship 70 to remain at a long distance from the coast during the loading and unloading operation.

[0142] The pressure required for conveying the liquefied gas may be generated using a pump carried on board the vessel 70 and / or a pump provided on a land installation 77 and / or a pump provided on a loading and unloading station 75 .

[0143] Although the invention has been described in conjunction with a number of specific embodiments, it is obvious that the invention is by no means limited to these embodiments and that the invention covers all technical equivalents and combinations of the means described, as long as they fall within the scope of the invention.

[0144] 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.

[0145] In the claims, any reference signs placed between parentheses shall not be construed as limiting the claim.

Claims

1. An anchoring device (20) for holding an insulating block (7, 11) against a supporting wall (2), the anchoring device (20) comprising: - a clamping assembly (30), the clamping assembly (30) comprising a lower plate (31), an upper plate (32), a connecting member (34) connecting the lower plate to the upper plate, and a spacer block (33), the upper plate (32) being parallel to the lower plate, the connecting member (34) connecting the lower plate to the upper plate, an anchoring rod (22) protruding from the clamping assembly in an anchoring direction of the anchoring device in a manner perpendicular to the lower plate (31), the anchoring rod having a lower end and an upper end opposite to the lower end, the lower end being intended to be attached to the supporting wall (2) and the upper end being coupled to the lower plate (31), The spacer block (33) is disposed between the lower plate (31) and the upper plate (32) to define a distance between the lower plate and the upper plate. The spacer block (33) is at least partially made of plywood, the plywood comprising board planes (PP1; PP2; PP3), the board planes (PP1; PP2; PP3) of the spacer block (33) being oriented to extend perpendicularly to the lower plate (31) and the upper plate (32) of the clamping assembly (30).

2. The anchoring device (20) according to claim 1, wherein: The plies of the plywood of the spacer block (33) are each made from one of the following woods: birch, spruce and eucalyptus.

3. An anchoring device (20) according to any one of claims 1 or 2, wherein: The plywood of the spacer block (33) comprises a number of wood plies per centimeter in a direction orthogonal to the plane of the board of between 4 and 8 inclusive.

4. An anchoring device (20) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The profile of the spacer block (33) in a plane orthogonal to the anchoring direction has the same shape and size as the profile of the lower plate (31) in the orthogonal plane.

5. An anchoring device (20) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The spacer block (33) is made from a single piece.

6. An anchoring device (20) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The spacer block (33) comprises a plurality of separate components.

7. The anchoring device (20) according to claim 6, wherein: The spacer block (33) comprises two separate lateral parts (33A), each lateral part (33A) being made of plywood comprising a plurality of wood plies arranged against each other and parallel to the board plane (PP3) of the spacer block (33).

8. The anchoring device (20) according to claim 7, wherein: The spacer block (33) comprises a central portion (33B) located between the two lateral portions (33A).

9. The anchoring device (20) according to claim 8, wherein: The central portion (33B) of the spacer block (33) is made of a material other than plywood, and the central portion (33B) of the spacer block (33) has a thermal conductivity of less than 0.050 W / m·K.

10. An anchoring device (20) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein: The spacer block (33) has a lower face (48A) and an upper face (48B) which are opposite and parallel to each other, the lower face (48A) being used for supporting against the lower plate (31), and the upper face (48B) being used for supporting against the upper plate (32), the lower face (48A) and the upper face (48B) being connected by a longitudinal side face (49A) and a transverse side face (49B), the longitudinal side face (49A) and the transverse side face (49B) being perpendicular to each other and perpendicular to the lower face (48A) and the upper face (48B), the plate plane (PP1; PP2; PP3) of the spacer block (33) being oriented to be parallel to one of the longitudinal sides (49A) or one of the transverse sides (49B) of the spacer block (33).

11. An anchoring device (20) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein: The spacer block (33) has a lower face (48A) for being oriented toward the lower plate (31), and includes a receiving portion (45) opening onto the lower face (48A), the receiving portion (45) being suitable for receiving the upper end portion (44) of the anchor rod (22).

12. An anchoring device (20) according to claim 11, wherein: The spacer block (33) has an upper face (48B) for orientation toward the upper plate (32), a central hole (45A) in the upper face (48B) opening into the housing (45).

13. An anchoring device (20) according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein: The spacer block (33) comprises two lateral through-holes (46), each of which is suitable for allowing a connecting rod of the connecting member to pass through the lateral through-hole.

14. A sealed and thermally insulated tank for storing a fluid, the tank comprising a supporting wall, a tank wall (1) and an anchoring device (20) fixed to the supporting wall (2), the tank wall (1) comprising, in sequence from the outside to the inside of the tank in a thickness direction (D), a thermally insulating barrier (3) and a sealing film (4) arranged against the thermally insulating barrier (3), In the tank, the thermal insulation barrier (3) comprises an insulation block (7) in the shape of a parallelepiped juxtaposed on the support wall (2), The insulating block (7) is clamped in the direction of the supporting wall (2) by means of a plurality of anchoring devices, at least one anchoring device (20) of the plurality of anchoring devices being a device according to any one of claims 1 to 13, the lower end of the anchoring rod (22) being fixed to the supporting wall between the plurality of insulating blocks (7), and the lower plate (31) of the anchoring device cooperating with the plurality of insulating blocks (7) to clamp the plurality of insulating blocks in the direction of the supporting wall (2).

15. A vessel (70) for transporting fluids, the vessel comprising a catamaran (72) and a tank (71) according to claim 14 arranged in the catamaran (72).

16. A system for transporting fluid, the system comprising a vessel (70) according to claim 15, an isolation pipe (73, 79, 76, 81) and a pump, the isolation pipe being arranged so as to connect the tank (71) installed in the hull of the vessel to a floating or land storage facility (77), the pump being used to pump the fluid from the floating or land storage facility to the tank of the vessel or from the tank of the vessel to the floating or land storage facility via the isolation pipe.

17. A method of assembling an anchoring device according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein: The anchor device (20) is assembled and does not require the following treatment: the dimensions of the spacer block (33) are corrected after storing the anchor device under the relative humidity conditions in which the anchor device (20) is used.

18. A method of loading or unloading a vessel (70) according to claim 15, wherein: Fluid is conducted from a floating or land storage facility (77) to the tank (71) of the vessel or from the tank (71) of the vessel to the floating or land storage facility (77) via an insulated pipeline (73, 79, 76, 81).

Images