Liquefied gas storage facility

Abstract

The invention relates to a liquefied gas storage facility comprising: - a sealed and thermally insulating tank, - a sealed pipe (8) passing through the tank wall, in which the thermally insulating barrier (15) comprises at least one hollow insulating panel (16) through which the sealed pipe (8) passes, in which the sealed membrane (17) comprises a perforated strake (21) through which the sealed pipe (8) passes, in which the tank comprises a collar (27) fixed to the sealed pipe (8) and fixed to the perforated strake (21), in which the hollow insulating panel (16) comprises an insulating support device (26) arranged in the recess (25), and being configured to support the collar (27), the insulating support device (26) having a thermal contraction coefficient in the thickness direction greater than that of the sealed pipe (8) and less than that of the insulating foam block (24) of the hollow insulating panel (16). Figure for abstract: 3

Description

Title of the invention: Liquefied gas storage facility Technical field

[0001] The invention relates to the field of sealed and thermally insulating membrane tanks. In particular, the invention relates to the field of sealed and thermally insulating tanks for the storage and / or transport of low-temperature liquefied gas, such as tanks for the transport of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (also called LPG) having, for example, a temperature between -50°C and 0°C, or for the transport of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) at approximately -162°C at atmospheric pressure. These tanks can be installed on land or on a floating structure. In the case of a floating structure, the tank can be intended for the transport of liquefied gas or for receiving liquefied gas used as fuel for the propulsion of the floating structure. Technological background

[0002] Document WO2019162594 discloses a liquefied gas storage facility comprising a sealed and thermally insulating membrane tank, the ceiling wall of which is crossed by a sealed pipe. The ceiling wall has a multi-layer structure comprising, from the outside to the inside, a secondary thermally insulating barrier resting against the supporting structure, a secondary sealed membrane resting against the secondary thermally insulating barrier, a primary thermally insulating barrier resting against the secondary sealed membrane and a primary sealed membrane intended to be in contact with the liquefied gas contained in the tank.

[0003] In this document, the sealed pipe thus passes through a secondary insulating panel and a primary insulating panel, and is connected to the sealed membranes using a collar. The secondary and primary insulating panels thus passed through are made in the form of a partitioned plywood box filled with insulating lining.

[0004] Such a structure has the disadvantage of having a non-optimal boil-off rate due to the limited thermal insulation performance of the plywood boxes. The boil-off rate defines the amount of liquefied gas converted into steam due to the vaporization of the liquefied gas over a given period of time. Summary of the invention

[0005] An idea underlying the invention is to improve the vaporization rate of a storage installation while maintaining good resistance to thermal contraction.

[0006] According to one embodiment, the invention provides a liquefied gas storage facility, the storage facility comprising: - a sealed and thermally insulating tank intended for storing liquefied gas in a state of two-phase liquid-vapor equilibrium, the tank being supported by a supporting structure and having a tank wall comprising at least one sealed membrane intended to be in contact with the liquefied gas and at least one thermally insulating barrier arranged between the sealed membrane and the supporting structure; - a sealed pipe passing through the tank wall, in which the thermally insulating barrier comprises a plurality of insulating panels juxtaposed with each other, the plurality of insulating panels comprising at least one hollow insulating panel comprising a recess through which the sealed pipe passes, the at least one hollow insulating panel comprising a bottom plate, a cover plate and an insulating foam block arranged between the bottom plate and the cover plate in the thickness direction, in which the waterproof membrane comprises a plurality of strakes with raised edges welded edge to edge to each other, each strake comprising a flat portion located between two raised edges, the plurality of strakes comprising a perforated strake comprising a hole through which the sealed pipe passes,in which the sealed and thermally insulating tank comprises a collar comprising an inner rim fixed to the sealed pipe all around the sealed pipe and an outer rim fixed to the perforated strake all around the hole in the perforated strake, wherein the thermally insulating barrier comprises a support insulating device disposed in the recess, the support insulating device being configured to at least partially support the collar, a thermal contraction coefficient of the support insulating device in the thickness direction being greater than or equal to the thermal contraction coefficient of the sealed conduit in the thickness direction and less than the thermal contraction coefficient of the insulating foam block of the recessed insulating panel.

[0007] Thanks to these characteristics, by replacing the plywood boxes of the prior art with insulating foam panels around the sealed pipe, the vaporization rate at least in this area is improved. In addition, by providing in this hollow insulating panel an insulating support device at least partially supporting the collar, it is possible to limit the phenomenon of "stepping" or unevenness linked to the significant differences between the thermal contraction of the sealed pipe and that of the foam of the insulating panel. Indeed, the foam of the hollow insulating panel contracts much more than the sealed pipe. Therefore, the collar flexes because it is integral on the one hand with the sealed pipe and on the other hand with the waterproof membrane which is supported by the hollow insulating panel. By providing a thermal contraction coefficient intermediate between that of the sealed pipe and that of the foam of the hollowed-out insulating panel, it is possible to significantly reduce the “walking” phenomenon in this area and therefore improve the mechanical resistance to thermal contraction of the collar.

[0008] When defining the thermal contraction coefficient in the thickness direction of an element that is formed from a plurality of different materials, the material extending in the thickness direction and contracting the least will predominantly induce the thermal contraction coefficient of the element. For example, in the case where the element comprises a plywood box with plywood plates extending in the thickness direction and a non-structural insulating lining inside the box, it is the plywood of the plates that will predominantly give the thermal contraction coefficient of the element. In other words, for such an element, only the thermal contraction coefficient of the material extending in the thickness direction and contracting the least will be considered.Another example, for an insulating panel comprising in the thickness direction a stack of a plywood cover plate, a polyurethane foam insulating foam block with a structural function and a plywood bottom plate, only the thermal contraction coefficient of the material of the insulating foam block will be considered.

[0009] According to embodiments, such a storage facility may comprise one or more of the following features.

[0010] According to one embodiment, the insulating support device has an orifice, the conduit passing through the orifice of the insulating support device.

[0011] According to one embodiment, the insulating support device is fixed to the bottom plate of the hollow insulating panel.

[0012] The insulating support device is for example fixed by gluing, screwing or stapling.

[0013] According to one embodiment, the recess is made in the cover plate and the insulating foam block of the hollowed-out insulating panel, the bottom plate comprising an orifice crossed by the sealed pipe.

[0014] According to one embodiment, the insulating support device comprises a box made using plates assembled together, the box being filled using an insulating lining.

[0015] According to one embodiment, the box is a first box, and the insulating support device comprises a second box, the first box and the second box being arranged so as to surround the sealed pipe.

[0016] According to one embodiment, the plates of the box are made of plywood, solid wood or composite material, preferably plywood.

[0017] According to another embodiment, the insulating support device comprises a block reinforced insulating foam, the reinforced insulating foam block comprising fibers extending in the thickness direction.

[0018] According to one embodiment, the reinforced insulating foam block is a first reinforced insulating foam block, and the supporting insulating device comprises a second reinforced insulating foam block, the first reinforced insulating foam block and the second reinforced insulating foam block being arranged so as to surround the sealed pipe.

[0019] According to one embodiment, the reinforced insulating foam block(s) are made using a polyurethane foam reinforced with glass fibers, the glass fibers being oriented along their length parallel to the thickness direction.

[0020] According to one embodiment, the insulating support device is configured to support at least the outer periphery of the collar.

[0021] According to one embodiment, the flat portions of the sealing membrane are produced in a plane, the insulating support device extending parallel to said plane on either side of the external contour of the collar.

[0022] According to one embodiment, the flat portions of the sealing membrane are produced in a plane, the dimensions in said plane of the collar being strictly less than the insulating support device.

[0023] Thus, the collar is supported in its entirety by the insulating support device.

[0024] According to one embodiment, the insulating support device has a thermal contraction coefficient in the thickness direction of between 6 and 25*106 K1.

[0025] According to one embodiment, the reinforced insulating foam block of the insulating support device has a thermal contraction coefficient in the thickness direction of between 15 and 25*106 K1.

[0026] According to one embodiment, the box has a thermal contraction coefficient in the thickness direction of between 6 and 10*10 6 K1.

[0027] According to one embodiment, the thermal contraction coefficient in the thickness direction of the insulating foam block of the hollowed-out insulating panel is between 40 and 70*10 6 K1.

[0028] According to one embodiment, the thermal contraction coefficient in the thickness direction of the sealed pipe is between 1 and 14*106 K1.

[0029] According to one embodiment, the sealed pipe is made from a metal alloy of iron and nickel whose thermal contraction coefficient is between 1 and 2*106 K1.

[0030] According to one embodiment, the sealed pipe is made from a metal alloy of iron and manganese whose thermal contraction coefficient is between 6 and 10*10 6 K1.

[0031] According to one embodiment, the sealed pipe is made of a stainless steel metal alloy whose thermal contraction coefficient is between 10 and 14*106 K1.

[0032] According to one embodiment, the plurality of strakes is made from a metal alloy of iron and nickel whose thermal contraction coefficient is between 1 and 2*106 K1.

[0033] According to one embodiment, the insulating foam block of the hollow insulating panel is made using a polyurethane foam reinforced with glass fibers, the glass fibers being oriented perpendicular to the thickness direction, the insulating foam block of the hollow insulating panel having a thermal contraction coefficient in the thickness direction of between 40 and 70*10 6 K ', for example equal to 60*10 6 K h

[0034] According to one embodiment, the recess is made in the center of the hollowed-out insulating panel.

[0035] According to one embodiment, the plurality of insulating panels comprises two hollow insulating panels arranged on either side of the sealed pipe, each hollow insulating panel comprising a recess located at an edge of the hollow insulating panel such that the recess of one of the hollow insulating panels is adjacent to the recess of the other of the hollow insulating panels, the two hollow insulating panels being configured to frame the sealed pipe.

[0036] According to one embodiment, the insulating support device is arranged both in the recess of one of the hollowed-out insulating panels and in the recess of the other of the hollowed-out insulating panels.

[0037] According to one embodiment, the insulating support device comprises two separate insulating elements, one of the insulating elements being inserted into the recess of one of the hollowed-out insulating panels while the other of the insulating elements is inserted into the recess of the other of the hollowed-out insulating panels.

[0038] According to one embodiment, the tank wall is a ceiling wall of the tank, and the sealed conduit is a sealed discharge conduit configured to define a passage for discharging a vapor phase of the liquefied gas from the inside to the outside of the tank.

[0039] Such an installation may be a land-based storage installation, for example for storing LNG, or a floating, coastal or deep-water storage installation, including an LNG carrier, a floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU), a floating production and remote storage unit (FPSO) and others. Said tank may also serve as a fuel tank in any type of vessel.

[0040] According to one embodiment, a ship for transporting a liquefied gas comprises a double hull and a aforementioned storage facility arranged in the double hull. hull.

[0041] According to one embodiment, the invention also provides a transfer system for a liquefied gas, the system comprising the aforementioned ship, insulated pipes arranged to connect the tank installed in the hull of the ship to a floating or land-based storage facility and a pump for driving a flow of liquefied gas through the insulated pipes from or to the floating or land-based storage facility to or from the tank of the ship.

[0042] According to one embodiment, the invention also provides a method for loading or unloading a ship, in which a liquefied gas is conveyed through insulated pipes from or to a floating or land-based storage facility to or from the tank of the aforementioned ship. Brief description of the figures

[0043] The invention will be better understood, and other aims, details, characteristics and advantages thereof will appear more clearly during the following description of several particular embodiments of the invention, given solely for illustrative and non-limiting purposes, with reference to the appended drawings.

[0044] [Fig.l] is a cutaway schematic representation of a ship comprising a storage facility according to one embodiment.

[0045] [Fig.2] is a partial sectional view of a storage facility on a ship liquefied natural gas transport, equipped with steam discharge pipes passing through the ceiling wall of the tank and the upper decks of the vessel.

[0046] [Fig.3] is a partial exploded view of detail III of [Fig.2] according to a first embodiment.

[0047] [Fig.4] is a sectional view of a hollowed-out insulating panel and an insulating device support according to the first embodiment at the right of the recess.

[0048] [Fig.5] is a partial exploded view of detail III of [Fig.2] according to a second embodiment.

[0049] [Fig.6] is a sectional view of detail III of [Fig.2] according to a third method of rea lization.

[0050] [Fig.7] is a schematic cutaway representation of a vessel comprising a storage facility and a loading / unloading terminal for this tank. Description of the embodiments

[0051] In [Fig.l], a ship 70 is shown equipped with a liquefied gas storage installation which comprises, in the example shown, a plurality of sealed and thermally insulating tanks 71. Each tank 71 is associated with a degassing mast 1 which is provided on an upper deck 2 of the ship 70 and allows the escape of the gas in the vapor phase during an overpressure inside the associated tank 71.

[0052] At the rear of the ship 70 is provided an engine compartment 3 which conventionally comprises a mixed-fuel steam engine or turbine capable of operating either by combustion of diesel fuel or by combustion of evaporation gases coming from the tanks 71.

[0053] The tanks 71 have a longitudinal dimension extending along the longitudinal direction of the ship 70. Each tank 71 is bordered at each of its longitudinal ends by a pair of transverse partitions 5 delimiting a watertight intermediate space, known as a “cofferdam” 6.

[0054] The tanks 71 are thus separated from each other by a transverse cofferdam 6. It can thus be seen that the tanks 71 are each arranged inside a supporting structure which is constituted, on the one hand, by the double hull 7 of the ship 70 and, on the other hand, by one of the transverse partitions 5 of each of the cofferdams 6 bordering the tank 71.

[0055] The liquefied gas intended to be stored in the tank 71 may in particular be a liquefied natural gas (LNG), that is to say a gas mixture comprising mainly methane and one or more other hydrocarbons. The liquefied gas may also be ethane, a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), that is to say a mixture of hydrocarbons resulting from the refining of petroleum comprising essentially propane and butane or liquid hydrogen.

[0056] With reference to [Fig. 2], the ship 70 is partially shown inclined at an angle of heel. The watertight and thermally insulating tank 71 illustrated has a generally polyhedral shape, defined by a ceiling wall 4, the only one visible in [Fig. 2], a bottom wall, transverse walls and side walls, the transverse walls and the side walls connecting the bottom wall and the ceiling wall according to the known technique.

[0057] A sealed pipe 8 provided for the evacuation of the vapor phase in a tilting situation connects the interior space of the tank 71 to a gas dome 9, itself connected to a main vapor collector circuit 10 and to the degassing mast 1 via a pressure relief valve 11. For this, the sealed pipe 8 passes through a wall of the tank, here the ceiling wall 4. The function of such a pipe for evacuating the vapor phase is described in more detail in the publication WO2016120540.

[0058] The portion of the ceiling wall 4 crossed by the sealed pipe 8 for the evacuation of the vapor phase will be described in more detail below with reference to Figures 3 to 6. However, in other embodiments not shown, the sealed pipe could be another pipe crossing the ceiling wall or another wall of the tank and the wall crossed would have the same structure as that described below.

[0059] As shown in particular in [Fig. 3], the ceiling wall 4 has a multi-layer structure comprising, from the outside to the inside, a secondary thermally insulating barrier 12 comprising secondary insulating panels resting against the supporting structure, here the double shell 7, a secondary waterproof membrane 14 resting against the secondary thermally insulating barrier 12, a primary thermally insulating barrier 15 comprising primary insulating panels resting against the secondary waterproof membrane 14 and a primary waterproof membrane 17 intended to be in contact with the liquefied gas contained in the tank 71. By way of example, such membrane tanks are described in particular in patent application FR2877638.

[0060] The primary 17 and secondary 14 waterproof membranes comprise a continuous sheet comprising metal strakes 18 with raised edges, said strakes 18 being welded by their raised edges to parallel welding supports 19, illustrated in [Fig.6], held respectively in grooves 20 made in secondary and primary insulating panels. The metal strakes 18 are, for example, made of Invar®: that is to say an alloy of iron and nickel whose coefficient of expansion is typically between 1.10-6 and 2.106 K1,

[0061] The primary 17 and secondary 14 waterproof membranes also each comprise a perforated strake 21, shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, crossed by the waterproof pipe 8 and welded to other strakes 18.

[0062] Similarly, as shown in [Fig. 3], the primary 15 and secondary 12 thermally insulating barriers respectively comprise a hollow primary insulating panel 16 and a hollow secondary insulating panel 13. The hollow primary insulating panel 16 and the hollow secondary insulating panel 13 are traversed by the sealed pipe 8. The hollow primary insulating panel 16 and the hollow secondary insulating panel 13 each comprise a bottom plate 22, a cover plate 23 and an insulating foam block 24 separating the bottom plate 22 and the cover plate 23 in the thickness direction.

[0063] The embodiment described thus comprises two thermally insulating barriers crossed by the sealed pipe. However, the invention could also be applied to a tank comprising only one thermally insulating barrier. Subsequently, only the primary part, composed of the primary thermally insulating barrier 15 and the primary sealed membrane 17, which is crossed by the sealed pipe 8 will be described in more detail. The secondary part crossed by the sealed pipe 8 can be made in an identical manner to the primary part or different.

[0064] Indeed, it is the primary part which is exposed to the greatest temperature variations due to its proximity to the liquefied gas. Therefore, an element contracting very little like the sealed pipe 8 and an element contracting well more like the hollow primary insulating panel 16 can cause significant stresses, when the tank is cold, in particular for an element which is linked or supported both by the sealed pipe 8 and by the hollow primary insulating panel 16, such as the collar 27 which will be described later.

[0065] [Fig. 3] represents in particular the primary part crossed by the sealed pipe 8 in exploded view according to a first embodiment.

[0066] The hollowed-out primary insulating panel 16 comprises a recess 25 through which the sealed pipe 8 passes, illustrated in particular in [Fig.3]. The recess 25 is notably made in the cover plate 23 and the insulating foam block 24 of the hollowed-out primary insulating panel 16. The bottom plate 22 of the hollowed-out primary insulating panel 16 comprises an orifice through which the sealed pipe 8 passes. In the first embodiment, the recess 25 is made in the center of the hollowed-out primary insulating panel 16.

[0067] The thermally insulating barrier 15 comprises an insulating support device 26 disposed in the recess 25 and fixed to the bottom plate 22.

[0068] As also shown in [Fig.3], the primary waterproof membrane 17 comprises a collar 27 which comprises an inner periphery 28 welded to the waterproof pipe 8 all around the waterproof pipe 8 and an outer periphery 29 welded to the perforated strake 21 all around the hole in the perforated strake 21.

[0069] The insulating support device 26 is configured to at least partially support the collar 27 and in particular the outer periphery 29 of the collar 27. As can be seen in [Fig. 3], in the first embodiment, due to its dimensions in the plane of the primary waterproof membrane 17, the insulating support device 26 makes it possible to fully support the collar 27. Indeed, in this example, the recess 25 and the insulating support device 26 are cubic in shape while the collar 27 is annular in shape. The side of the cube formed by the insulating support device 26 is larger than the outer diameter of the collar 27.

[0070] In order to compensate for the differences in contraction between the sealed pipe 8 and the insulating foam block 24, the supporting insulating device 26 is designed to have a thermal contraction coefficient in the thickness direction being greater than or equal to the thermal contraction coefficient of the sealed pipe 8 in the thickness direction and less than the thermal contraction coefficient of the insulating foam block of the hollowed-out insulating panel.

[0071] In the first embodiment, and as seen in Figures 3 and 4, the insulating support device 26 comprises a box 30 made using plywood plates assembled together. The box 30 is further filled using an insulating filling (not shown), such as glass wool or perlite. for example. The plywood side plates 31 of the box 30 extend over the entire thickness dimension of the insulating support device 26. It is therefore the plywood of the plates which will give the coefficient of thermal contraction in the thickness direction of the insulating support device 26. The plywood of the side plates 31 has a coefficient of thermal contraction in the thickness direction of between 6 and 10*106 K1. The sealed pipe 8 made of a metal alloy of iron and nickel has a coefficient of thermal contraction in the thickness direction of between and 2* 106 K1. The sealed pipe 8 can also be made of a metal alloy of iron and manganese whose coefficient of thermal contraction is between 6 and 10*106 K1.Finally, the insulating foam block 24 of the hollow primary insulating panel 16, made here from polyurethane foam reinforced with glass fibers, has a thermal contraction coefficient in the thickness direction of between 40 and 70*10 6 K1.

[0072] The box 30 further comprises a through-orifice 32 through which the sealed pipe 8 passes. In order to complete the insulation, it is advantageous to provide between the walls of the through-orifice 32 and the sealed pipe 8 an insulator 33, such as glass wool, as shown in particular in [Fig.4]. Holes can be made on the side walls 31 in order to allow the free circulation of the gas present in the primary thermally insulating barrier 15.

[0073] The box 30 thus has a shape complementary to the recess 25 and the lower wall 34 of the box 30 is fixed, for example by stapling and / or gluing, to the bottom plate 22 of the hollowed-out primary insulating panel 16.

[0074] [Fig.5] represents in particular the primary part crossed by the sealed pipe 8 in exploded view according to a second embodiment.

[0075] This second embodiment differs in particular from the first embodiment by the positioning of the recess 25 relative to the hollowed-out primary insulating panel 16. Indeed, in this embodiment, the primary thermally insulating barrier 15 comprises two hollowed-out primary insulating panels 16 arranged on either side of the sealed pipe 8. Thus, each hollowed-out primary insulating panel 16 comprises a recess 25 located at a longitudinal edge 35 of the hollowed-out primary insulating panel 16 so that the recess 25 of the first hollowed-out primary insulating panel 16 is adjacent to the recess 25 of the second hollowed-out primary insulating panel 16. Thus, the two hollowed-out primary insulating panels 16 frame the sealed pipe 8.

[0076] Furthermore, in this second embodiment, the insulating support device 26 comprises two boxes 30 which are produced in a manner similar to the first embodiment. One of the boxes 30 is thus fixed in the recess 25 of the first hollowed-out primary insulating panel 16 while the other of the boxes 30 is fixed in the recess 25 of the second hollowed-out primary insulating panel 16. The two boxes 30 thus frame the 8. watertight conduit

[0077] [Fig. 6] represents a third embodiment which differs from the first and second embodiments by the constituent materials of the insulating support device 26.

[0078] Indeed, in this third embodiment, the box 30 filled with insulating lining is replaced by a reinforced insulating foam block 36. The reinforced insulating foam block 36 of the insulating support device 26 comprises fibers which are oriented in the thickness direction unlike the insulating foam block 24 of the hollowed-out insulating panel which comprises fibers oriented perpendicular to the thickness direction. Due to this orientation of the fibers in the thickness direction, the thermal contraction coefficient of the insulating support device 26 is greater than the thermal contraction coefficient of the hollowed-out primary insulating panel 16 in the thickness direction. In the example, with a polyurethane foam and glass fibers, the reinforced insulating foam block 36 of the insulating support device 26 has a thermal contraction coefficient in the thickness direction of between 15 and 25*106 K1.The sealed pipe 8 can be made of a metal alloy of iron and nickel having a coefficient of thermal contraction in the thickness direction of between 1 and 2*106 K1 or of a metal alloy of iron and manganese whose coefficient of thermal contraction is between 6 and 10*106 K 1 or of a metal alloy of stainless steel whose coefficient of thermal contraction is between 10 and 14*106 K1.

[0079] The insulating support device 26 according to the third embodiment can be arranged in a centered recess 25 as in the first embodiment or in two recesses 25 on longitudinal edges 35 as in the second embodiment. Thus, the insulating support device 26 can comprise one or more reinforced insulating foam blocks 36 as required in order to frame the sealed pipe 8.

[0080] With reference to [Fig.7], a cutaway view of an LNG carrier ship 70 shows a sealed and thermally insulating tank 71 of generally prismatic shape mounted in the double hull 72 of the ship 70. The wall of the tank 71 comprises a primary sealed membrane intended to be in contact with the LNG contained in the tank, a secondary sealed membrane arranged between the primary sealed membrane and the double hull 72 of the ship 70, and two thermally insulating barriers arranged respectively between the primary sealed membrane and the secondary sealed membrane and between the secondary sealed membrane and the double hull 72.

[0081] In a manner known per se, loading / unloading pipes 73 arranged on the upper deck of the ship can be connected, by means of appropriate connectors, to a maritime or port terminal to transfer a LNG cargo from or to tank 71.

[0082] [Fig. 7] represents an example of a maritime terminal comprising a loading and unloading station 75, an underwater pipeline 76 and an onshore installation 77. The loading and unloading station 75 is a fixed offshore installation comprising a mobile arm 74 and a tower 78 which supports the mobile arm 74. The mobile arm 74 carries a bundle of insulated flexible pipes 79 which can be connected to the loading / unloading pipelines 73. The orientable mobile arm 74 adapts to all sizes of LNG carriers. A connecting pipe, not shown, extends inside the tower 78. The loading and unloading station 75 allows the loading and unloading of the LNG carrier 70 from or to the onshore installation 77. The latter comprises liquefied gas storage tanks 80 and connecting pipes 81 connected by the underwater pipe 76 to the loading or unloading station 75.The subsea pipeline 76 allows the transfer of liquefied gas between the loading or unloading station 75 and the onshore installation 77 over a long distance, for example 5 km, which makes it possible to keep the LNG carrier 70 at a great distance from the coast during loading and unloading operations.

[0083] To generate the pressure necessary for the transfer of the liquefied gas, pumps on board the ship 70 and / or pumps equipping the onshore installation 77 and / or pumps equipping the loading and unloading station 75 are used.

[0084] Although the invention has been described in connection with several particular embodiments, it is quite obvious that it is in no way limited thereto and that it includes all the technical equivalents of the means described as well as their combinations if these fall within the scope of the invention.

[0085] The use of the verb “comprise”, “comprise” or “include” and its conjugated forms does not exclude the presence of other elements or other steps than those stated in a claim.

[0086] In the claims, any reference sign in parentheses cannot be interpreted as a limitation of the claim.

Claims

Claims

1. Liquefied gas storage facility, the storage facility comprising: - a sealed and thermally insulating tank (71) intended for storing the liquefied gas in a state of two-phase liquid-vapor equilibrium, the tank being supported by a supporting structure and having a tank wall (4) comprising at least one sealed membrane (17) intended to be in contact with the liquefied gas and at least one thermally insulating barrier (15) arranged between the sealed membrane (17) and the supporting structure; - a sealed pipe (8) passing through the tank wall (4), in which the thermally insulating barrier (15) comprises a plurality of insulating panels juxtaposed with each other, the plurality of insulating panels comprising at least one hollow insulating panel (16) comprising a recess (25) through which the sealed pipe (8) passes, the at least one hollow insulating panel (16) comprising a bottom plate (22), a cover plate (23) and an insulating foam block (24) arranged between the bottom plate (22) and the cover plate (23) in the thickness direction, in which the waterproof membrane (17) comprises a plurality of strakes with raised edges welded edge to edge to each other, each strake comprising a flat portion located between two raised edges, the plurality of strakes comprising a perforated strake (21) comprising a hole through which the sealed pipe (8) passes,wherein the sealed and thermally insulating tank comprises a collar (27) comprising an inner periphery (28) fixed to the sealed pipe (8) all around the sealed pipe (8) and an outer periphery (29) fixed to the perforated strake (21) all around the hole in the perforated strake (21), wherein the thermally insulating barrier (15) comprises an insulating support device (26) arranged in the recess (25), the insulating support device (26) being configured to at least partially support the collar (27), a thermal contraction coefficient of the insulating support device (26) in the thickness direction being greater than or equal to the thermal contraction coefficient of the sealed pipe (8) in the thickness direction and less than the thermal contraction coefficient of the foam block, insulation (24) of the hollow insulation panel (16).

2. A storage facility according to claim 1, wherein the supporting insulating device (26) is fixed to the bottom plate (22) of the hollow insulating panel (16).

3. A storage facility according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the insulating support device (26) comprises a box (30) made using plates assembled together, the box (30) being filled with an insulating lining.

4. A storage facility according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the supporting insulating device (26) comprises a reinforced insulating foam block (36), the reinforced insulating foam block (36) comprising fibers extending in the thickness direction.

5. Storage installation according to one of claims 1 to 4, in which the insulating support device (26) is configured to support at least the outer periphery (29) of the collar (27).

6. Storage facility according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the support insulating device (26) has a thermal contraction coefficient in the thickness direction of between 5 and 25*106 K1.

7. A storage facility according to one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the thermal contraction coefficient in the thickness direction of the insulating foam block (24) of the hollowed-out insulating panel (16) is between 40 and 70*106 K1.

8. Storage installation according to one of claims 1 to 7, in which the coefficient of thermal contraction in the thickness direction of the sealed pipe (8) is between 1 and 14* 106 K1.

9. Storage installation according to one of claims 1 to 8, in which the recess (25) is made in the center of the hollowed-out insulating panel (16).

10. A storage facility according to one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the plurality of insulating panels comprises two hollow insulating panels (16) arranged on either side of the sealed pipe (8), each hollow insulating panel (16) comprising a recess (25) located at an edge of the hollow insulating panel (16) such that the recess (25) of one of the hollow insulating panels (16) is adjacent to the recess (25) of the other of the hollow insulating panels (16), the two hollow insulating panels (16) being configured to frame the sealed pipe (8).

11. A storage facility according to claim 10, wherein the supporting insulating device (26) is disposed both in the recess (25) of one of the recessed insulating panels (16) and in the recess (25) of the other of the recessed insulating panels (16).

12. A storage facility according to claim 10, wherein the supporting insulating device (26) comprises two separate insulating elements, one of the insulating elements being inserted into the recess (25) of one of the recessed insulating panels (16) while the other of the insulating elements is inserted into the recess (25) of the other of the recessed insulating panels (16).

13. Storage installation according to one of claims 1 to 12, in which the tank wall is a ceiling wall (4) of the tank, and the sealed pipe (8) is a sealed discharge pipe configured to define a discharge passage for a vapor phase of the liquefied gas from the inside to the outside of the tank.

14. A vessel (70) for transporting a liquefied gas, the vessel comprising a double hull (72) and a storage facility according to one of claims 1 to 13 arranged in the double hull.

15. A transfer system for a liquefied gas, the system comprising a vessel (70) according to claim 14, insulated pipes (73, 79, 76, 81) arranged to connect the tank (71) installed in the hull of the vessel to a floating or land-based storage facility (77) and a pump for driving a flow of liquefied gas through the insulated pipes from or to the floating or land-based storage facility to or from the vessel tank.

16. A method of loading or unloading a ship (70), in which a liquefied gas is conveyed through insulated pipes (73, 79, 76, 81) from or to a floating or land-based storage facility (77) to or from the tank (71) of the ship (70) according to claim 14.

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