Liquefied gas storage facility with tensioned secondary membrane

Abstract

The invention relates to a liquefied gas storage facility comprising a support structure and a tank, the secondary thermal insulation barrier of the top wall comprising:-a first secondary attachment support made of metal and located in the corner region at the intersection between the two edges of the loading / unloading opening; -a first primary anchoring means attached to the first secondary attachment support; and-a first corner primary insulation block (62) comprising a main portion (63) arranged along the first transverse edge and a projection (64) projecting from the main portion (63) beyond the first longitudinal edge and vertically consistent with the first secondary attachment support; the projection (64) comprises a bearing area (64); the first primary anchoring device (29) comprises a bearing element (66) which bears against a bearing region (67) of the first boundary primary insulation block (51) and against a bearing region (65) of the first corner primary insulation block (62) in the direction of the upper support wall.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of liquefied gas storage facilities, which include a sealed and thermally insulated tank having a sealing film.

[0002] In particular, the present invention relates to the field of sealed and thermally insulated tanks for storing and / or transporting liquefied gases at low temperatures. For example, the tank is used for transporting liquefied petroleum gas (also known as LPG) at a temperature between, for example, -50°C and 0°C or for transporting liquefied natural gas (LNG) at approximately -162°C under atmospheric pressure. These tanks can be installed on land or on floating structures. In the case of floating structures, the tank can be intended for transporting liquefied gases or for receiving liquefied gases used as fuel for propelling the floating structure.

[0003] The storage facility can be installed on land or on a floating structure. In the case of a floating structure, the facility can be intended for transporting liquefied gases or for receiving liquefied gases used as fuel for propelling the floating structure. Background Art

[0004] Document WO2023 / 001678 describes a liquefied gas storage facility that includes a tank integrated into the support structure of a transport ship. The wall of the tank has a multi-layer structure that, in the thickness direction, from the outside to the inside, includes: a secondary thermal insulation barrier held on the support structure, a secondary sealing film attached to the secondary thermal insulation barrier, a primary thermal insulation barrier attached to the secondary thermal insulation barrier through the secondary sealing film, and a primary sealing film attached to the primary thermal insulation barrier and intended to be in contact with the liquefied gas stored in the tank. The secondary sealing film includes a plurality of parallel gussets. Each gusset includes a flat central portion extending in the longitudinal direction of the tank and two raised edges arranged on either side of the flat central portion and protruding towards the inside of the tank relative to the central portion. This secondary sealing film (commonly referred to as a "tension film") is different from a corrugated film and cannot absorb tensile and compressive forces in the longitudinal direction.

[0005] The top wall of the tank is interrupted at the loading / unloading opening through which the pipe for loading and / or unloading liquefied gas passes. The secondary sealing membrane is stopped and directly connected to the support structure by a secondary connecting bracket to absorb tensile and compressive forces caused especially by the thermal shrinkage of the secondary sealing membrane and the deformation of the hull of the transport ship related to the deflection of the transport ship beam. To relieve the burden on the secondary connecting bracket, the secondary thermal insulation barrier has a specific arrangement along the front lateral edge, which especially includes a plurality of secondary attachment supports made of metal, to which a secondary stop beam is attached, and the corresponding secondary connecting bracket rests against the secondary stop beam. The primary insulation blocks are arranged along the lateral and longitudinal edges of the loading / unloading opening. These primary insulation blocks are attached by primary anchoring means that are attached to the secondary thermal insulation barrier and pass through the secondary sealing membrane in a sealed manner. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The idea underlying the present invention is to provide a liquefied gas storage facility of the above type in which the primary insulation blocks in the corner area at the intersection between the longitudinal and lateral edges of the loading / unloading opening are attached in a simple manner.

[0007] According to an embodiment, the present invention provides a liquefied gas storage facility, which includes a support structure and a sealed and thermally insulated tank supported by the support structure. The support structure includes an upper support wall, and the tank includes a top wall attached to the upper support wall. The top wall includes, in the thickness direction from the outside to the inside of the tank: a secondary thermal insulation barrier attached to the upper support wall, a secondary sealing membrane resting against the secondary thermal insulation barrier, a primary thermal insulation barrier resting against the secondary sealing membrane, and a primary sealing membrane resting against the primary thermal insulation barrier and intended to come into contact with the liquefied gas. The top wall is locally interrupted to define a loading / unloading opening through which the loading / unloading pipe is intended to pass. The loading / unloading opening is defined by a first lateral edge and a second lateral edge parallel to the lateral direction and a first longitudinal edge and a second longitudinal edge parallel to the longitudinal direction, the longitudinal direction being perpendicular to the lateral direction;

[0008] The secondary thermal insulation barrier of the top wall includes:

[0009] - a first secondary attachment support made of metal and located in the corner area at the intersection between the first longitudinal edge and the first lateral edge;

[0010] and

[0011] - A boundary secondary isolation block, the boundary secondary isolation block being arranged along the first longitudinal edge and the first transverse edge;

[0012] The top wall includes a first primary anchoring device, the first primary anchoring device being attached to the first secondary attachment support;

[0013] The primary thermal isolation barrier of the top wall includes:

[0014] - A first boundary primary isolation block, the first boundary primary isolation block being arranged along the first longitudinal edge and the first boundary primary isolation block including a support area; and

[0015] - A first corner primary isolation block, the first corner primary isolation block including a main portion arranged along the first transverse edge and a protrusion protruding from the main portion beyond the first longitudinal edge and vertically aligned with the first secondary attachment support; the protrusion includes a support area facing the first boundary primary isolation block;

[0016] The first primary anchoring device includes a support element, the support element of the first primary anchoring device bearing against the support area of the first boundary primary isolation block and bearing against the support area of the first corner primary isolation block in the direction of the upper support wall.

[0017] Thus, the first primary anchoring device enables the attachment of the boundary primary isolation block arranged along the first longitudinal edge and the corner primary isolation block arranged along the transverse edge, which enables the limitation of the number of primary anchoring devices required for attaching the primary thermal isolation barrier and thus the limitation of the number of elements sealingly passing through the secondary sealing film.

[0018] According to an embodiment, such a facility may include one or more of the following features.

[0019] According to an embodiment, the support area of the first boundary primary isolation block is formed by battens.

[0020] According to an embodiment, the primary thermal isolation barrier includes at least one primary isolation panel, the primary isolation panel being adjacent to the first boundary primary isolation block and the primary isolation panel including a support area, the support element bearing against the support area in the direction of the upper support wall. This enables a further limitation of the number of primary anchoring devices required for attaching the primary thermal isolation barrier.

[0021] According to an embodiment, the first primary anchoring device includes: a threaded shank that sealingly passes through a hole made in the secondary sealing film, and a support element is assembled on the threaded shank; and a nut that is screwed onto the threaded shank to hold the support element against the support area of the first boundary primary isolation block and the support area of the first corner primary isolation block.

[0022] According to an embodiment, the first corner primary isolation block is formed by a box with an isolation filler placed inside.

[0023] According to an embodiment, the support area of the protrusion is formed by slats.

[0024] According to an embodiment, the first secondary attachment support includes a secondary base and a secondary cap. The secondary base is anchored to the upper support wall, and the secondary cap is welded to the secondary base and extends parallel to the longitudinal direction in a plane parallel to the upper support wall.

[0025] According to an embodiment, the secondary base includes two branches connected to each other by a central web, and the branches extend in a plane parallel to the transverse direction.

[0026] According to an embodiment, the first secondary attachment support includes a plaque that is attached to the secondary cap by an attachment member.

[0027] According to an embodiment, the attachment member is adjustable to allow relative movement of the plaque with respect to the secondary cap in the thickness direction of the top wall.

[0028] According to an embodiment, the threaded shank is attached to the plaque.

[0029] According to an embodiment, the secondary thermal isolation barrier includes a secondary stop beam that extends along the first transverse edge and rests against at least one of the secondary cover of the first secondary attachment support and a boundary secondary isolation block arranged along the first transverse edge. The secondary stop beam is fixed between the plaque and the secondary cap in the thickness direction of the top wall.

[0030] According to an advantageous embodiment, the plaque has a dual function, namely, fixing the secondary stop beam in the thickness direction of the top wall and attaching the first primary anchoring device to the first secondary attachment support, which makes it possible to further simplify the structure of the top wall in the corner area of the loading / unloading opening.

[0031] According to an embodiment, the secondary stop beam has an end equipped with a recess, and the plaque is received in the recess such that the plaque is flush with the inner surface of the secondary stop beam. This makes it possible to ensure the flatness of the support surface against which the first wing of the secondary connection bracket and the secondary sealing film abut.

[0032] According to an embodiment, the first secondary attachment support includes a stop device configured to block the translation of the secondary stop beam in the longitudinal direction.

[0033] According to an embodiment, the stop device includes a plaque attached to the secondary cap and including a threaded hole, the axis of which is oriented parallel to the longitudinal direction of the tank, and the threaded hole has a set screw that passes through the threaded hole and is intended to bear against the secondary stop beam through a support bracket so as to press the secondary stop beam against the end of a branch of the first secondary attachment support.

[0034] According to an embodiment, the secondary sealing film is sealingly connected to the upper support wall along the first transverse edge by a secondary connecting bracket, the secondary connecting bracket including a first wing portion and a second wing portion, the first wing portion extending in a horizontal plane and bearing against the secondary stop beam, and the second wing portion extending in a vertical plane and welded to an anchoring flat area rigidly fixed to the upper support wall.

[0035] According to an embodiment, the secondary thermal insulation barrier includes a plurality of secondary attachment supports spaced apart along the first transverse edge, and boundary secondary insulation blocks are interspersed along the transverse edge between two adjacent secondary attachment supports.

[0036] According to an embodiment, the primary thermal insulation barrier includes a plurality of boundary primary insulation blocks arranged along the first transverse edge and each having a support area at its end, and the top wall includes a plurality of primary anchoring devices each attached to one of the secondary attachment supports, the primary anchoring devices including a support element arranged between two adjacent boundary primary insulation blocks and bearing against one of the support areas of the two adjacent boundary primary insulation blocks in the direction of the upper support wall.

[0037] According to an embodiment, the secondary thermal insulation barrier includes:

[0038] - A second secondary attachment support made of metal and located in a corner area at the intersection between the second longitudinal edge and the first transverse edge; and

[0039] - Boundary secondary insulation blocks arranged along the second longitudinal edge;

[0040] The top wall includes a second primary anchoring device attached to the second secondary attachment support;

[0041] The primary thermal insulation barrier of the top wall includes:

[0042] - A second boundary primary insulation block arranged along the second longitudinal edge; and

[0043] - A second corner primary insulation block, the second corner primary insulation block including a main portion disposed along a first lateral edge and a protrusion protruding from the main portion beyond a first longitudinal edge and vertically aligned with a second secondary attachment support; the protrusion including a support area facing a second boundary primary insulation block;

[0044] The second primary anchoring device includes a support element, and the support element of the second primary anchoring device bears against the support area of the second boundary primary insulation block and bears against the support area of the second corner primary insulation block in the direction of the upper support wall.

[0045] According to an embodiment, the secondary thermal insulation barrier includes:

[0046] - A third secondary attachment support and a fourth secondary attachment support, the third secondary attachment support and the fourth secondary attachment support being made of metal and respectively located in a corner area at the intersection between a first longitudinal edge and a second lateral edge and in a corner area at the intersection between a second longitudinal edge and a second lateral edge;

[0047] The top wall includes a third primary anchoring device and a fourth primary anchoring device, and the third primary anchoring device and the fourth primary anchoring device are respectively attached to the third secondary attachment support and the fourth secondary attachment support;

[0048] The primary thermal insulation barrier of the top wall includes:

[0049] - A third boundary primary insulation block and a fourth boundary primary insulation block, the third boundary primary insulation block and the fourth boundary primary insulation block being respectively disposed along a first longitudinal edge and a second longitudinal edge; and

[0050] - A third corner primary insulation block and a fourth corner primary insulation block, the third corner primary insulation block and the fourth corner primary insulation block including a main portion disposed along a second lateral edge and a protrusion protruding from the main portion;

[0051] The protrusion of the third corner primary insulation block protrudes beyond the first longitudinal edge and includes a support area facing the third boundary primary insulation block;

[0052] The third primary anchoring device includes a support element, and the support element of the third primary anchoring device bears against the support area of the third boundary primary insulation block and bears against the support area of the third corner primary insulation block in the direction of the upper support wall;

[0053] The protrusion of the fourth corner primary insulation block protrudes beyond the second longitudinal edge and includes a support area facing the fourth boundary primary insulation block;

[0054] The fourth primary anchoring device includes a support element, and the support element of the fourth primary anchoring device bears against the support area of the fourth boundary primary isolation block and the support area of the fourth corner primary isolation block in the direction of the upper support wall.

[0055] According to an embodiment, the first lateral edge is located in front of or behind the loading / unloading opening.

[0056] According to an embodiment, the boundary secondary isolation blocks arranged along the first longitudinal edge and the second longitudinal edge each include at least one upper slat at each of their ends, the top wall includes a second primary anchoring device, and the second primary anchoring device includes a lower plaque and an upper plaque, and the lower plaque and the upper plaque are attached to each other by an adjustable attachment member and sandwich the upper slats of two adjacent boundary secondary isolation blocks therebetween.

[0057] According to an embodiment, the boundary primary isolation block includes at least one slat at each of its ends, the second primary anchoring device includes a threaded shank that penetrates the secondary sealing film in a sealed manner and a support element that is mounted on the threaded shank and bears against the slats of two adjacent boundary primary isolation blocks.

[0058] The installation according to one of the above embodiments can be, for example, an onshore storage facility for storing LNG, or can be installed on a floating structure, on the coast or in deep water, especially an LNG or ethane carrier, a floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU), a remote floating production and storage unit (FPSO), etc. In the case of a floating structure, the tank can be intended to receive liquefied natural gas used as fuel for propelling the floating structure.

[0059] According to an embodiment, the present invention relates to a carrier for transporting a fluid, and the carrier includes a facility of the above type.

[0060] According to an embodiment, the carrier includes a double hull forming a support structure.

[0061] According to an embodiment, the present invention also provides a system for transferring a fluid, the system including: a carrier as described above; an isolation pipeline arranged to connect the tank of the carrier to a floating or onshore storage facility; and a pump for pumping a fluid flow from the floating or onshore storage facility through the isolation pipeline to the tank of the carrier or pumping a fluid flow from the tank of the carrier through the isolation pipeline to the floating or onshore storage facility.

[0062] According to an embodiment, the present invention also provides a method for loading or unloading such a carrier, in which a fluid is transported from a floating or onshore storage facility through an isolation pipeline to the tank of the carrier or a fluid is transported from the tank of the carrier through an isolation pipeline to the floating or onshore storage facility. Description of the Drawings

[0063] The description of many specific embodiments of the present invention provided by way of non-limiting illustration only with reference to the following accompanying drawings will enable the present invention to be better understood and its other objects, details, features and advantages will become more apparent.

[0064] Figure 1 is a schematic view of a transport ship including storage facilities.

[0065] Figure 2 is a partial perspective view from below of a top wall in the region near the loading / unloading opening that interrupts the top wall according to a first embodiment, the view corresponding to Figure 1 detail II in

[0066] Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the top wall near the rear cofferdam wall.

[0067] Figure 4 is a partial perspective view of a secondary thermal insulation barrier along the rear transverse edge of the loading / unloading opening.

[0068] Figure 5 is a perspective view of a secondary attachment support.

[0069] Figure 6 is a partial transverse view of a secondary thermal insulation barrier along the rear transverse edge of the loading / unloading opening.

[0070] Figure 7 is a perspective view of a beam intended to rest against the secondary attachment support.

[0071] Figure 8 is a perspective view showing the secondary thermal insulation barrier and the primary thermal insulation barrier along the longitudinal edge of the loading / unloading opening.

[0072] Figure 9 is a partial perspective view of a secondary thermal insulation barrier in the corner region at the intersection between the transverse edge and the longitudinal edge of the loading / unloading opening.

[0073] Figure 10 is a perspective view of a corner primary insulation block intended to be positioned in the corner region at the intersection between the transverse edge and the longitudinal edge of the loading / unloading opening according to a first embodiment.

[0074] Figure 11 is a partial view from below of the primary thermal insulation barrier in the corner region at the intersection between the transverse edge and the longitudinal edge of the loading / unloading opening according to a first embodiment, with the support elements of the primary anchoring device not shown.

[0075] Figure 12 is with Figure 11A similar partial view from below, showing the support element of the primary anchoring device.

[0076] Figure 13 Is a perspective view of a corner primary insulation block according to a second embodiment intended to be positioned in a corner area at the intersection between a lateral edge and a longitudinal edge of a loading / unloading opening.

[0077] Figure 14 Is a partial perspective view of a primary thermal insulation barrier in a corner area at the intersection between a lateral edge and a longitudinal edge of a loading / unloading opening according to a second embodiment, with the boundary primary insulation blocks not shown.

[0078] Figure 15 Is a partial view from below of a primary thermal insulation barrier in a corner area at the intersection between a lateral edge and a longitudinal edge of a loading / unloading opening according to a second embodiment.

[0079] Figure 16 Schematically depicts the tank of an LNG carrier and a terminal (partially cut away) for loading / unloading the tank. Detailed Description

[0080] By convention, the terms "outer" and "inner" are used to define the relative position of one element with respect to another with reference to the interior and exterior of the tank. Additionally, in the figures, arrows L and T respectively correspond to the longitudinal and transverse directions of the tank that are perpendicular to each other. By extension, in the illustrated embodiments, arrows L and T also correspond to the longitudinal and transverse directions of the carrier, since in these embodiments the tank has the same orientation as the carrier.

[0081] Figure 1 Shows a carrier 70 for storing and transporting liquefied gas, such as an LNG carrier. The carrier 70 includes a storage facility 1, which includes a number of tanks 71 arranged in the inner hull of the carrier. For this purpose, the inner hull has a plurality of compartments in the shape of a polyhedron, which are defined by a plurality of support walls, and each compartment is intended to form a support structure for receiving one of the tanks 71 of the carrier 1. The inner hull includes a cofferdam support wall that extends transversely to the longitudinal direction L of the carrier and defines a cofferdam space that divides the inner hull into a number of compartments.

[0082] Each tank 71 has a polyhedron shape and includes a plurality of tank walls that are assembled with each other and fixed against the support walls, and in particular a top wall 4, a rear cofferdam wall 82, and a front cofferdam wall 83. The front cofferdam wall 83 and the rear cofferdam wall 82 are spaced apart in the longitudinal direction L of the carrier 70 and are fixed against one and the other of two cofferdam support walls.

[0083] To load liquefied gas into or unload liquefied gas from a tank, a loading / unloading opening is formed in the top wall 4 ( Figure 1 not shown in the figure), and a pipe intended for loading and / or unloading liquefied gas passes through this loading / unloading opening. The loading / unloading opening is made in the top wall 4 and is located near the rear cofferdam wall 82 ( Figure 1 in Region II of the figure).

[0084] The upper support wall of the support structure 2 also has a hole allowing the pipe to pass through the support structure 2. The loading / unloading opening serves as an entry point for one or more of the various pieces of equipment for handling liquefied natural gas and in particular the following equipment: filling pipeline, emergency pumping pipeline, unloading pipeline connected to an unloading pump, spraying pipeline, supply pipeline connected to a spraying pump, etc. According to an embodiment, a loading / unloading tower (not shown) passes through the loading / unloading opening. The loading tower has vertical masts that are attached to each other by crossbars. The vertical masts are hollow, so each mast defines a loading pipeline, a loading pipeline, or a pressure relief well allowing a pressure relief well to descend.

[0085] Figure 2 A perspective view from inside the tank of the area of the top wall 4 near the loading / unloading opening 14 is shown. The loading / unloading opening 14 has a rectangular shape and is defined by two longitudinal edges 5 parallel to the longitudinal direction L of the tank and two transverse edges 6 parallel to the transverse direction.

[0086] Figure 3 A multilayer structure of the top wall 4 is shown. The top wall 4 includes, in the thickness direction from the outside to the inside of the tank, in sequence: a secondary thermal insulation barrier 7 held on the upper support wall 8, a secondary sealing film 9 resting on the secondary thermal insulation barrier 7, a primary thermal insulation barrier 10 resting on the secondary sealing film 9, and a primary sealing film 11 resting on the primary thermal insulation barrier 10 and intended to be in contact with the liquefied natural gas contained in the tank.

[0087] The secondary thermal insulation barrier 7 includes a plurality of secondary insulation panels 12, which are anchored to the upper support wall 8 by secondary anchoring means ( Figure 3 not shown in the figure). The secondary insulation panels 12 have a generally parallelepiped shape and are arranged in parallel rows, for example, along the longitudinal direction L and the transverse direction T.

[0088] The secondary sealing membrane 9 of the top wall 4 comprises a continuous layer of metal strakes with raised edges. Each strake extends in the longitudinal direction L and comprises a flat central portion resting on the secondary insulating plate 12. Each strake also comprises two raised edges arranged on either side of the flat central portion and projecting towards the interior of the tank relative to the central portion. The strakes are welded by their raised edges on parallel welding supports attached in grooves made in the inner surface of the secondary insulating plate 12, in other words the surface in contact with the secondary sealing membrane 9. For example, the strakes are made of a metal strip having a coefficient of expansion of typically 1×10 -6 K -1 Up to 2×10 -6 K -1 Between (in other words, an alloy of iron and nickel) or a coefficient of expansion usually in the range of 7×10 -6 K -1 Up to 9×10 -6 K -1 Made from an alloy between iron and manganese.

[0089] The primary thermal insulation barrier 10 comprises a plurality of primary insulation panels 13 which are connected by primary anchoring means ( Figure 3 The primary insulation panel 13 has a substantially parallelepiped shape. The primary insulation panel 13 can in particular be positioned offset in the longitudinal direction L and optionally also in the transverse direction T relative to the secondary insulation panel 12.

[0090] According to an embodiment, the secondary insulation panel 12 and the primary insulation panel 13 comprise a base panel, a cover panel, and one or more layers of insulating polymer foam sandwiched between and adhesively bonded to the base panel and the cover panel. The insulating polymer foam may in particular be a polyurethane-based foam, optionally fiber-reinforced, in particular fiber-reinforced with glass fibers.

[0091] The primary sealing membrane 11 comprises a plurality of corrugated metal plates juxtaposed in the longitudinal direction L and the transverse direction T and welded to each other along their edges. The primary sealing membrane 11 comprises corrugations extending parallel to the longitudinal direction L and corrugations extending parallel to the transverse direction T.

[0092] The top wall 4 is partially interrupted to define the loading / unloading opening 14. Therefore, the sealing films (primary sealing film 11 and secondary sealing film 9) and the heat insulating barriers (primary heat insulating barrier 10 and secondary heat insulating barrier 7) are interrupted around the loading / unloading opening 14.

[0093] Back to Figure 2 , Figure 2Shows a cover 15 arranged in the loading / unloading opening 14. The cover 15 includes a metal sealing wall 16 and a thermal insulation structure 17 located between the metal sealing wall 16 and the upper support wall 8. The cover 15 is attached to the upper support wall 8. The metal sealing wall 16 provides sealing continuity with the primary sealing film 11 of the top wall 4, while the thermal insulation structure 17 provides insulation continuity.

[0094] The thermal insulation structure 17 may include, for example, one or more cover insulation blocks in the form of a box, the box including a bottom plate, a cover plate, and support spacers that extend in the thickness direction between the bottom plate and the cover plate and that define a plurality of compartments filled with insulation fillers (such as perlite, glass wool, or rock wool). One or more cover insulation blocks include holes (not shown) that allow the loading / unloading pipes to pass through.

[0095] The metal sealing wall 16 of the cover 14 includes, for example, a plurality of metal plates welded to each other. In addition, the metal sealing wall 16 includes a plurality of cover holes (not shown) intended for the loading / unloading pipes to pass through. The metal connection strip 18 enables the metal sealing wall 16 of the cover 14 to be sealingly connected to the primary sealing film 11 of the top wall 4, as Figure 2 can be seen.

[0096] When the primary sealing film 11 is connected to the metal sealing wall 16 of the cover 14 at the loading / unloading opening 14, the secondary sealing film 9, as far as its own components are concerned, is interrupted at the longitudinal edge 5 and the transverse edge 6 of the loading / unloading opening 14, and the secondary sealing film 9 is directly sealingly connected to the upper support wall 8 in order to seal the separation between the secondary thermal insulation barrier 7 and the cover 14. This connection is produced by means of a secondary connection bracket 19, which can be seen in particular in Figure 3 The secondary connection bracket 19 includes a first wing 20 and a second wing 21 connected to the first wing 20. The first wing 20 extends in a horizontal plane and is connected to the secondary sealing film 9, while the second wing 21 extends in a vertical plane and is welded to an anchoring flat area 22 rigidly fixed to the upper support wall 8. Thus, some of the strips of the secondary sealing film 9 are interrupted by the loading / unloading opening 14 and are connected to the upper support wall 8.

[0097] At the connection with the upper support wall 8, the secondary sealing film 9 is able to transfer the tensile force associated with the function of the secondary sealing film 9 to the secondary connection bracket 19, especially when the tank cools. In addition, in order to relieve the burden on the secondary connection bracket 19 and its welding to the secondary sealing film 9, the secondary thermal insulation barrier 7 has a specific arrangement along the transverse edge 6 of the loading / unloading opening 14.

[0098] Figure 4Partially shown therein is a particular arrangement of the secondary thermal insulation barrier 7 along one of the transverse edges 6. The secondary thermal insulation barrier 7 includes a plurality of secondary attachment supports 23 which are regularly distributed along the transverse edge 6 of the loading / unloading opening 14 at a distance from each other in the transverse direction T and are welded to the upper support wall 8.

[0099] Figure 5 Shown therein is one of the secondary attachment supports 23. This secondary attachment support includes a secondary cap 24 extending parallel to the longitudinal direction in a plane parallel to the top wall 4. The secondary cap 24 is welded to a secondary base 25 which is anchored to the upper support wall 8, for example by welding. The secondary base 25 includes two branches 26, 27 connected to each other by a central web 28. The two branches 26, 27 are welded to the two ends of the secondary cap 24 and extend parallel to each other in a plane parallel to the transverse direction and the thickness direction of the top wall 4. The central web 28, for its part, extends in a plane parallel to the longitudinal direction and the thickness direction of the top wall 4. The central web 28 is welded to the secondary cap 24 and the two branches 26, 27. In the illustrated embodiment, the central web 28 has a U shape. The spacing between the two branches 26, 27 in the longitudinal direction L defines the base length and enables resistance to rocking and bending of the secondary connection bracket 19 in this direction.

[0100] The secondary attachment support 23 supports primary anchoring means 29 intended for anchoring the primary thermal insulation barrier 10. The primary anchoring means 29 is attached to a plaque 30 which is itself attached to the secondary cap 24 by attachment members 31 (such as screws). The longitudinal direction of the plaque 30 is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the tank.

[0101] Furthermore, a threaded shank 32 is attached to the plaque 30 and the threaded shank 32 extends in the thickness direction towards the interior of the tank. The threaded shank 32 is intended to pass sealingly through a hole made in the secondary sealing film 9. The primary anchoring means 29 also includes a support element 33 which is intended to bear against a support area of the boundary primary insulation block 51 of the primary thermal insulation barrier 10 shown particularly in Figure 3 The support area is arranged along the transverse edge 6 of the loading / unloading opening 14. In the illustrated embodiment, the support area of the boundary primary insulation block 51 is formed, for example, by a batten attached to the end of the boundary primary insulation block 51.

[0102] Furthermore, the primary anchoring means 29 also includes a nut 34 (particularly in Figure 5As can be seen, the nut 34 interacts with the thread of the threaded shank 32 such that the support element 33 is attached to the threaded shank 32 together with at least one Belleville washer 35, which is mounted on the threaded shank 32 and is located between the nut 34 and the support element 33. In addition, the primary anchoring device 29 includes a flange 36 which is located around the threaded shank 32 and is intended to be welded hermetically around the hole through which the threaded shank 32 passes to the secondary sealing film 9.

[0103] Return Figure 4 , it can be seen that the secondary thermal insulation barrier 7 also includes boundary secondary insulation blocks 37 along the boundary of the lateral edge 6. Each boundary secondary insulation block 37 is interposed between two adjacent secondary attachment supports 23. The boundary secondary insulation blocks 37 are advantageously adhesively bonded to the upper support wall 8, for example by mastic. The boundary secondary insulation blocks 37 are formed, for example, by wooden boxes in which insulating fillers such as perlite, glass wool or rock wool are placed.

[0104] The secondary thermal insulation barrier 7 also includes secondary stop beams 38 to which the first wings 20 of the secondary connection brackets 19 are attached. The secondary stop beams 38 are made of wood, for example. The secondary stop beams 38 also help to hold the boundary secondary insulation blocks 37 against the upper support wall 8. Thus, the secondary stop beams 38 are interposed in the thickness direction between the boundary secondary insulation blocks 37 and the first wings 20 of the secondary connection brackets 19.

[0105] The secondary stop beams 38 are each attached straddling two secondary attachment supports 23. In the illustrated embodiment, the middle portion of the secondary stop beams 38 also rests on the secondary attachment supports 23. To attach the secondary stop beams 38, the ends of the secondary stop beams 38 are clamped between the plaque 30 and the secondary cap 24. Since the attachment member 31 is adjustable, the ends of the secondary stop beams 38 are fixed between the plaque 30 and the secondary cap 24 in the thickness direction of the top wall.

[0106] As Figure 7 shown, the secondary stop beam 38 has a recess 39 in which the plaque 30 is received such that the plaque 30 is substantially flush with the inner surface of the secondary stop beam 38. This makes it possible to ensure the flatness of the support surface against which the first wings 20 of the secondary connection brackets 19 and the secondary sealing film 9 abut.

[0107] Advantageously, the secondary stop beam 38 also includes one or more prefabricated metal reinforcements 40 that make it possible to increase its stiffness. The metal reinforcements 40 are, for example, metal bars that are oriented parallel to the length of the secondary stop beam 38, in other words, along the transverse direction of the tank. The metal reinforcements 48 can be attached to the secondary stop beam 38 by any means, and in particular by fixing screws, by gluing or by riveting to the secondary stop beam 38.

[0108] According to an advantageous embodiment, a bead or strip of mastic (not shown) is located between, on the one hand, the secondary stop beam 38 and, on the other hand, the boundary secondary isolation block 37 and / or the secondary cap 24 of the secondary attachment support 23. This makes it possible to adjust the position of the secondary stop beam 38 in the thickness direction of the top wall 4.

[0109] As Figure 7 shown, the secondary stop beam 38 also includes a support bracket 41 that is L-shaped and made of metal, and this support bracket 41 serves as a support for a stop device 42 that is particularly visible Figures 4 to 6 and described hereinafter. Since the support bracket 41 is stiffer than the secondary stop beam 38, the support bracket 41 makes it possible to prevent the secondary stop beam 38 from denting in the area where the support bracket 41 contacts the stop device 42. In addition, the secondary stop beam 38 has a notch 43 that makes it possible to receive the stop device 42 when the secondary stop beam 38 is placed in position against the secondary attachment support 23. Each of the support brackets 41 has a first tab 44 and a second tab 45. The first tab 44 is received on the outer face of the secondary stop beam 38, and the second tab 45 is received on the edge of one of the notches 43. The support brackets 41 can be attached to the secondary stop beam 38 by any means, and in particular by fixing screws, by gluing or by riveting to the secondary stop beam 38.

[0110] In addition, as Figure 6As shown, the translation of each secondary stop beam 38 in the longitudinal direction is blocked on the secondary attachment support 23 that interacts with the secondary stop beam 38. To this end, each secondary attachment support 23 includes a stop device 42 that is attached to the secondary cap 24. The stop device 42 includes a plate 43 that is vertically attached to the secondary cap 24 by welding. In the illustrated embodiment, in order to strengthen the rigidity of the stop device 42, a reinforcing member in the form of a gusset 46 is welded between the plate 43 and the secondary cap 24. The plate 43 includes two tapped holes, the axes of the two tapped holes are oriented parallel to the longitudinal direction L of the tank, and each of the two tapped holes has a set screw 44 passing through it. Each set screw 44 is intended to bear against one of the support brackets 41, which has the effect of pressing the corresponding secondary stop beam 38 against the end 45 of the branch 27, which makes it possible to block its translation in the longitudinal direction.

[0111] Therefore, the secondary stop beam 38 is rigidly supported by the secondary attachment support 23 in both the longitudinal direction L and the thickness direction of the top wall 4, which makes it possible to withstand the tensile or compressive forces that the secondary sealing film 9 may exert during operation.

[0112] As Figure 4 shown, the secondary thermal insulation barrier 7 includes a cover plate 47 that is received in a ledge formed in the secondary stop beam 38 and covers the cutout 43 for receiving the stop device 42. The cover plate 47 ensures that the support surface of the secondary sealing film 9 is flat.

[0113] Referring Figure 8 , the arrangement of the primary thermal insulation barrier 10 and the secondary thermal insulation barrier 7 along the longitudinal edge 5 of the loading / unloading opening 14 will now be described. The secondary thermal insulation barrier 7 includes a plurality of boundary secondary insulation blocks 48 arranged along the longitudinal edge 5 of the loading / unloading opening 14. Similarly, the primary thermal insulation barrier 10 includes a plurality of boundary primary insulation blocks 51 arranged along the longitudinal edge 5.

[0114] The boundary secondary insulation blocks 48 include at least two slats along their longitudinal ends, namely a lower slat 49 and an upper slat 50, which are attached to the longitudinal ends and are made of, for example, wood. The ends of the boundary primary insulation blocks 51 also include slats 52.

[0115] The lower slat 49 is intended to be used to anchor the boundary secondary isolation block 48 to the upper support wall 8 by means of a secondary anchoring device (not shown). According to an example of the embodiment, the secondary anchoring device comprises: a shank which is welded to the support structure and is located between two adjacent boundary secondary isolation blocks 48; a support element which is fitted onto the shank and bears against the lower slats 49 of two adjacent boundary secondary isolation blocks 48. The secondary anchoring device further comprises: a nut which interacts with the thread of the shank so as to attach the support element to the shank; and a Belleville washer which is mounted on the shank and is located between the nut and the support element.

[0116] As Figure 8 shown, the upper slat 50 is intended to be used to anchor the boundary primary isolation block 51 by means of the primary anchoring device 53. The primary anchoring device 53 comprises an upper plaque 54 and a lower plaque 55 which are attached to each other by means of an adjustable attachment member (such as a screw). The upper plaque 54 and the lower plaque 55 are positioned such that the attachment member passes through the gap between the upper slats 50 of two adjacent boundary secondary isolation blocks 48, and such that the said upper slats 50 are sandwiched between the upper plaque 54 and the lower plaque 55.

[0117] The primary anchoring device 53 further comprises a threaded shank 56 which is attached to the upper plaque 54 and extends in the thickness direction towards the interior of the tank. The threaded shank 56 is intended to pass sealingly through a hole in the secondary sealing film 9. The primary anchoring device 53 further comprises a support element 57 which is fitted onto the threaded shank 56. The primary anchoring device 53 further comprises: a nut 58 which interacts with the thread of the threaded shank 56 so as to attach the support element to the threaded shank 56; and a Belleville washer 59 which is mounted on the threaded shank 56 and is located between the nut 58 and the support element 57.

[0118] In Figure 8 the embodiment shown, the primary anchoring devices 53 arranged along the longitudinal edge 5 of the loading / unloading opening 14 are each intended to anchor two boundary primary isolation blocks 51 and two primary isolation panels 60. To this end, the primary isolation panels 60 adjacent to the boundary primary isolation blocks 51 have longitudinal ends which are aligned with the longitudinal ends of the boundary primary isolation blocks 51 along the longitudinal edge 5 of the loading / unloading opening 14. In addition, the primary isolation panels 60 are arranged across the boundary secondary isolation blocks 48 and the adjacent secondary isolation panels 61.

[0119] Thus, the support elements 57 of the primary anchoring device 53 are positioned in the space between the corners of the two boundary primary insulation blocks 51 and the corners of the two adjacent primary insulation panels 60. Each of the support elements 57 bears against two slats 52 of the two boundary primary insulation blocks 51 and the support areas of the two adjacent primary insulation panels 60. The support areas of the primary insulation panels 60 are advantageously formed by the portions of the rigid outer plate that project relative to the rigid inner plate and the insulating polymer foam layer. In the illustrated embodiment, the support areas of the primary insulation panels 60 are dimensioned larger in the longitudinal direction than the dimensions of the slats of the insulation box. Thus, the support elements 57 generally have a T-shape.

[0120] In another embodiment (not shown), the boundary secondary insulation blocks 48 are wider, in other words, they have a greater transverse dimension. The boundary secondary insulation blocks 48 include two lower slats and two upper slats at each of their ends. One of the upper slats is for attaching a primary anchoring device to anchor two adjacent boundary primary insulation blocks, while the other upper slat is for attaching another primary anchoring device to anchor one or more primary insulation panels 60.

[0121] According to another embodiment (not shown), two rows of boundary secondary insulation blocks 48 are positioned along each of the longitudinal edges 5 of the loading / unloading opening 14. Thus, the boundary primary insulation blocks are anchored to one row of boundary secondary insulation blocks by the primary anchoring devices of the above type, and the primary insulation panels 60 adjacent to the longitudinal edges are also anchored to the other row of boundary secondary insulation blocks by the primary anchoring devices of the above type.

[0122] Reference Figures 9 to 12 , the arrangement of the primary thermal insulation barrier 10 and the secondary thermal insulation barrier 7 in the corner regions at the intersection between the longitudinal edge 5 and the transverse edge 6 of the loading / unloading opening 14 will be described below.

[0123] As Figure 9 shown, in each of the corner regions of the loading / unloading opening 14, there is arranged a secondary attachment support 23 as described above with respect to Figure 5 . In this case, the secondary attachment support 23 is aligned with the boundary secondary insulation blocks 37 arranged along the transverse edge 6, the same as those arranged along the longitudinal edge 5.

[0124] The primary thermal insulation barrier 10 in each of the corner regions of the loading / unloading opening 14 includes, according to the first embodiment, in Figures 10 to 12The corner primary insulation block 62 shown in [the figure]. The corner primary insulation block 62 includes a main part 63 in the shape of a cuboid and a protrusion 64 protruding laterally from the main part 63. The longitudinal dimension of the protrusion 64 is smaller than the longitudinal dimension of the main part 63. The protrusion 64 is fitted with a slat 65. The corner primary insulation block 62 is advantageously formed by a box made of wood with insulation filling such as perlite, glass wool or rock wool placed inside.

[0125] The main part 63 of the corner primary insulation block 62 is arranged along the lateral edge 6, while the protrusion 64 protrudes beyond the longitudinal edge 5 and is thus positioned vertically aligned with the secondary attachment support 23 and more particularly below the secondary attachment support 23, and is aligned with the boundary primary insulation block 51 arranged along the longitudinal edge 5. The slat 65 is positioned against the surface of the protrusion 64 that turns towards the boundary primary insulation block 51 arranged along the longitudinal edge 5. As Figure 11 shown, the threaded shank 32 of the primary anchoring device 29 protrudes between the protrusion 64 of the corner primary insulation block 62 and the adjacent boundary primary insulation block 51.

[0126] As Figure 12 shown, the support element 66 mounted on the threaded shank 32 bears against the slat 65 of the protrusion 64 and the slats of the boundary primary insulation block 51. In addition, advantageously, one or more of the primary insulation panels 60 adjacent to the boundary primary insulation block along the longitudinal edge 5 of the loading / unloading opening 14 have support surfaces 68, 69 against which the support element 66 bears. This arrangement is particularly advantageous because the primary anchoring devices 29 attached to the secondary attachment supports 23 arranged in the corner regions each enable the attachment of the boundary primary insulation blocks 51 arranged along the longitudinal edge 5 and the corner primary insulation blocks 62 arranged along the lateral edge 6, which makes it possible to limit the number of primary anchoring devices 29 and thus the number of elements sealingly passing through the secondary sealing film 9.

[0127] As Figure 12 shown, the support element 66 of the primary anchoring device 29 attached to the secondary attachment support 23 arranged in the corner region is positioned in the space between the protrusion 64 of the corner primary insulation block 62, the boundary primary insulation block 51 arranged along the longitudinal edge 5 of the loading / unloading opening 14, and the support regions 68, 69 of one or two adjacent primary insulation panels 60. Thus, the support element 66 bears against the slat 65 of the protrusion 64 of the corner primary insulation block 62, the slat 67 attached to the longitudinal end of the boundary primary insulation block 51 arranged along the longitudinal edge 5, and the support regions 68, 69 of two adjacent primary insulation panels 60.

[0128] Figures 13 to 15 A second embodiment of the corner primary insulation block 62 is shown.

[0129] In the second embodiment, compared with the first embodiment, the strip 65 of the protrusion 64 has been lengthened such that the strip 65 extends over most of the length of the protrusion 64, as Figure 13 can be seen.

[0130] Figure 14 The case of the corner primary isolation block 62 of the second embodiment is shown, and the boundary primary isolation block 51 is omitted for the sake of visibility. As in the first embodiment, the support element 66 of the primary anchoring device 29 attached to the secondary attachment support 23 arranged in the corner region is positioned in the space between the protrusion 64 of the corner primary isolation block 62 and the boundary primary isolation block 51 arranged along the longitudinal edge 5 of the loading / unloading opening 14.

[0131] In Figure 15 the view of, it can be seen that in this second embodiment and different from the first embodiment, the support element 66 only bears against the strip 65 of the protrusion 64 of the corner primary isolation block 62 and the strip 67 attached to the longitudinal end of the boundary primary isolation block 51 arranged along the longitudinal edge 5. Specifically, in this second embodiment, the support element 66 is shorter and does not rest against the bearing surfaces of two adjacent primary isolation plates 60.

[0132] Referring to Figure 16 , a partially cut-away view of the LNG carrier 70 shows the sealed and insulated tank 71, which is installed in the double hull 72 of the carrier and has a generally prismatic shape. The wall of the tank 71 includes a primary sealing barrier intended to contact the LNG contained in the tank, a secondary sealing barrier arranged between the primary sealing barrier and the double hull 72 of the carrier, and two isolation barriers arranged between the primary sealing barrier and the secondary sealing barrier and between the secondary sealing barrier and the double hull 72, respectively.

[0133] In a manner known per se, the loading / unloading pipeline 73 arranged on the upper deck of the carrier can be connected to a marine or port terminal through a suitable connector to transfer the LNG cargo from or to the tank 71.

[0134] Figure 16An example of a marine terminal is shown, which includes a loading and unloading station 75, a submerged pipeline 76, and an onshore facility 77. The loading and unloading station 75 is a fixed offshore facility that includes a movable arm 74 and a tower 78 that supports the movable arm 74. The movable arm 74 carries a bundle of insulated flexible pipes 79 that can be connected to a loading / unloading pipeline 73. The orientable movable arm 74 can be adjusted to fit LNG carriers of all sizes. Connecting pipes (not shown) extend inside the tower 78. The loading and unloading station 75 allows an LNG carrier 70 to load or unload from / to the onshore facility 77. The facility includes a tank 80 for storing liquefied gas and a connecting pipe 81 that is connected to the loading or unloading station 75 through the submerged pipeline 76. The submerged pipeline 76 allows liquefied gas to be transferred over a long distance (e.g., 5 km) between the loading or unloading station 75 and the onshore facility 77, which enables the LNG carrier 70 to maintain a large distance from the shore during loading and unloading operations.

[0135] To generate the pressure required to transfer the liquefied gas, pumps on the carrier 70 and / or pumps assembled to the onshore facility 77 and / or pumps assembled to the loading and unloading station 75 are utilized.

[0136] Although the invention has been described in connection with several specific embodiments, it is obvious that the invention is in no way limited thereto, and the invention includes all technical equivalents of the described devices and their combinations, provided that they fall within the scope of the invention as defined by the claims.

[0137] The use of the verb "comprise" or "include" and their cognate forms does not exclude the presence of other elements or other steps in addition to the elements or steps recited in the claims.

[0138] In the claims, any reference signs in parentheses shall not be construed as limiting the claim.

Claims

1. A liquefied gas storage facility, comprising a support structure (2) and a sealed and thermally insulated tank (71) supported by the support structure (2), the support structure (2) comprising an upper support wall (8), and the tank (71) comprising a top wall (4) attached to the upper support wall (8), the top wall (4) comprising, in a thickness direction from the outside to the inside of the tank: a secondary thermal insulation barrier (7) attached to the upper support wall (8), a secondary sealing membrane (9) resting against the secondary thermal insulation barrier (7), a primary thermal insulation barrier (10) resting against the secondary sealing membrane (9), and a primary sealing membrane (11) resting against the primary thermal insulation barrier (10) and intended to be in contact with the liquefied gas, the top wall (4) being partially interrupted to define a loading / unloading opening (14) intended for a loading / unloading pipe to pass through the loading / unloading opening (14), the loading / unloading opening (14) being defined by first and second transverse edges (6) parallel to a transverse direction (T) and by first and second longitudinal edges (5) parallel to a longitudinal direction (L), the longitudinal direction (L) being perpendicular to the transverse direction (T); The secondary thermal insulation barrier (7) of the top wall (4) comprises: - a first secondary attachment support (23) made of metal and located in the corner region of the intersection between the first longitudinal edge and the first transverse edge; as well as - a border secondary insulating block (37, 48) arranged along the first longitudinal edge and the first transverse edge; The top wall (4) comprises first primary anchoring means (29) attached to the first secondary attachment support (23); The primary thermal insulation barrier (10) of the top wall (4) comprises: - a first border primary insulating block (51), said first border primary insulating block (51) being arranged along said first longitudinal edge and said first border primary insulating block (51) comprising a bearing area (67); and - a first corner primary insulating block (62), said first corner primary insulating block (62) comprising a main portion (63) arranged along said first transverse edge and a projection (64) projecting from said main portion (63) beyond said first longitudinal edge and vertically in line with said first secondary attachment support (23); said projection (64) comprising a bearing area (64) facing said first border primary insulating block (51); The first primary anchoring device (29) comprises a bearing element (66), the bearing element (66) of the first primary anchoring device (29) bearing against a bearing area (67) of the first border primary insulating block (51) and against a bearing area (65) of the first corner primary insulating block (62) in the direction of the upper supporting wall (8).

2. The liquefied gas storage facility according to claim 1, wherein: The primary thermal insulation barrier (10) comprises at least one primary insulation panel (60) which adjoins the first boundary primary insulation block (51) and comprises a bearing area (69) against which the bearing element (66) bears in the direction of the upper supporting wall (8).

3. The liquefied gas storage facility according to claim 1, wherein: The primary thermal insulation barrier (10) comprises at least one primary insulation panel (60) adjacent to the first boundary primary insulation block (51), the support element (66) being positioned at a distance from the primary insulation panel (60) adjacent to the first boundary primary insulation block (51) so that the support element (66) only bears against a support area (67) of the first boundary primary insulation block (51) and against a support area (65) of the first corner primary insulation block (62).

4. The liquefied gas storage facility according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The first primary anchoring device (29) comprises: a threaded shank (32), on which the supporting element (66) is mounted, and the threaded shank (32) sealably passes through a hole made in the secondary sealing membrane (9); and a nut (34) which is screwed onto the threaded shank (32) so as to keep the supporting element (66) against the supporting area of ​​the first boundary primary insulating block (51) and the supporting area of ​​the first corner primary insulating block (62).

5. The liquefied gas storage facility according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The first corner primary insulating block (62) is formed by a box with insulating filler placed inside, and wherein the bearing area of ​​the protrusion (64) is formed by a strip.

6. The liquefied gas storage facility according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The first secondary attachment support (23) comprises a secondary base (25) anchored to the upper support wall (8) and a secondary cap (24) welded to the secondary base (25) and extending parallel to the longitudinal direction in a plane parallel to the upper support wall (8).

7. The liquefied gas storage facility according to claim 6, wherein: The secondary base (25) comprises two branches (26, 27) connected to each other by a central web (28), the branches (26, 27) extending in a plane parallel to the transverse direction.

8. The liquefied gas storage facility according to claim 6 or 7, wherein: The first secondary attachment support (23) comprises a plaque plate (30) which is attached to the secondary cap (24) by attachment members (31).

9. A liquefied gas storage facility according to the combination of claims 5 and 8, wherein: The threaded shank (32) is attached to the plaque plate (30).

10. The liquefied gas storage facility according to claim 8 or 9, wherein: The secondary thermal insulation barrier (7) comprises a secondary stop beam (38) extending along the first transverse edge and resting at least against the secondary cover (24) of the first secondary attachment support (23) and against one of the boundary secondary insulation blocks (37) arranged along the first transverse edge, the secondary stop beam (38) being fixed between the plaque (30) and the secondary cap (24) in the thickness direction of the top wall.

11. The liquefied gas storage facility according to claim 10, wherein: The secondary stop beam (38) has an end provided with a recess (39) in which the plaque plate (30) is received so that the plaque plate (30) is flush with the inner surface of the secondary stop beam (38).

12. The liquefied gas storage facility according to claim 10 or 11, wherein: The first secondary attachment support (23) comprises a stop device (42) configured to block translation of the secondary stop beam in the longitudinal direction.

13. The liquefied gas storage facility according to any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein: The secondary sealing membrane (9) is sealingly connected to the upper supporting wall (8) along the first transverse edge by a secondary connecting bracket (19), the secondary connecting bracket (19) comprising a first wing (20) extending in a horizontal plane and bearing against the secondary stop beam (38) and a second wing (21) extending in a vertical plane and welded to an anchoring flat area (22) rigidly fixed to the upper supporting wall (8).

14. The liquefied gas storage facility according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein: The secondary thermal insulation barrier (7) comprises a plurality of secondary attachment supports (23) spaced apart along the first transverse edge, and the boundary secondary insulation blocks (37) are interspersed between two adjacent secondary attachment supports (23) along the transverse edge.

15. The liquefied gas storage facility according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein: The secondary thermal insulation barrier (7) comprises: - a second secondary attachment support (23) made of metal and located in the corner region of the intersection between the second longitudinal edge and the first transverse edge; - a second primary anchoring device attached to said second secondary attachment support; and - a border secondary insulating block arranged along said second longitudinal edge; The primary thermal insulation barrier (10) of the top wall (4) comprises: - a second border primary insulating piece, said second border primary insulating piece being arranged along said second longitudinal edge; and - a second corner primary insulating block comprising a main portion arranged along the first transverse edge and a projection protruding from the main portion beyond the first longitudinal edge and vertically in line with the second secondary attachment support; the projection comprising a bearing area facing the second border primary insulating block; The second primary anchoring device comprises a bearing element which bears against a bearing area of ​​the second border primary insulating block and against a bearing area of ​​the second corner primary insulating block in the direction of the upper supporting wall (8).

16. The liquefied gas storage facility according to claim 15, wherein: The secondary thermal insulation barrier (7) comprises: - a third secondary attachment support and a fourth secondary attachment support made of metal and located in the corner region of the intersection between the first longitudinal edge and the second transverse edge and in the corner region of the intersection between the second longitudinal edge and the second transverse edge, respectively; - third and fourth primary anchoring means, said third and fourth primary anchoring means being attached to said third and fourth secondary attachment supports, respectively; The primary thermal insulation barrier (10) of the top wall (4) comprises: - a third border primary insulating block and a fourth border primary insulating block, said third border primary insulating block and said fourth border primary insulating block being arranged along said first longitudinal edge and said second longitudinal edge respectively; and - a third corner primary insulating block and a fourth corner primary insulating block, said third corner primary insulating block and said fourth corner primary insulating block comprising a main portion arranged along said second transverse edge and a protrusion protruding from said main portion; the projection of the third corner primary insulating block protruding beyond the first longitudinal edge and comprising a bearing area facing the third border primary insulating block; The third primary anchoring device comprises a bearing element which bears against a bearing area of ​​the third border primary insulating block and against a bearing area of ​​the third corner primary insulating block in the direction of the upper supporting wall (8); the protrusion of the fourth corner primary insulating block protrudes beyond the second longitudinal edge and comprises a bearing area facing the fourth border primary insulating block; The fourth primary anchoring device comprises a bearing element which bears against a bearing area of ​​the fourth border primary insulating block and against a bearing area of ​​the fourth corner primary insulating block in the direction of the upper supporting wall (8).

17. A transport ship (70) for transporting liquefied gas, the transport ship comprising the liquefied gas storage facility according to any one of claims 1 to 16.

18. A system for transferring liquefied gas, the system comprising a transport vessel (70) according to claim 17 and an isolated pipeline (73, 79, 76, 81), the isolated pipeline (73, 79, 76, 81) being arranged to connect the tank (71) mounted in the hull of the transport vessel to a floating or onshore storage facility (77).

19. A method for loading or unloading a transport vessel (70) according to claim 17, wherein: delivering liquefied gas from a floating or onshore storage facility (77) to said tank (71) of said transport vessel (70) via an isolated pipeline (73, 79, 76, 81), or The liquefied gas is transported from the tank (71) of the transport ship (70) through an isolated pipeline (73, 79, 76, 81) to a floating or onshore storage facility (77).

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