Insulating box for a watertight and thermally insulating tank

Abstract

The invention relates to a thermally insulated enclosure (7) for a sealed and thermally insulating tank intended to contain a liquefied gas. The bottom panel (22) of the thermally insulated enclosure (7) is supported by a load-bearing wall (3) via sealant elements comprising longitudinal rows of sealant (4L) and transverse rows of sealant (4T). Each longitudinal row of sealant (4L) comprises longitudinal sealant portions (43, 143) aligned parallel to a longitudinal direction (L), and each transverse row of sealant (4T) comprises transverse sealant portions (48, 244) aligned parallel to a transverse direction (T). The longitudinal sealant portions (43, 143) are not contiguous with the transverse sealant portions (48, 244), allowing gas circulation.The longitudinal mastic portions (43, 143) carry internal longitudinal partitions (33) of the heat-insulating box (7), and the longitudinal transverse mastic portions (48, 244) carry internal transverse partitions (34) of the heat-insulating box (7). Figure for the abstract: Fig. 3.

Description

Title of the invention: Heat-insulating casing for a sealed and thermally insulating tank. Technical field

[0001] The invention relates to the field of leak-proof and thermally insulated membrane tanks. In particular, the invention relates to the field of leak-proof and thermally insulated tanks for the storage and / or transport of liquefied gases at low temperatures, such as tanks for transporting Liquefied Petroleum Gas (also called LPG) at temperatures ranging, for example, from -50°C to 0°C, or for transporting 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 used for transporting liquefied gas or for receiving liquefied gas to serve as fuel for the propulsion of the floating structure. Technological background

[0002] In the prior art, a sealed and thermally insulating tank, integrated into a load-bearing structure, is known, said tank comprising a tank wall fixed to a load-bearing wall of the load-bearing structure, the tank wall comprising in the thickness direction, from the outside to the inside of the tank, a thermally insulating barrier retained on the load-bearing wall, and a sealing membrane supported by the thermally insulating barrier.

[0003] It is known that in such a tank wall, the thermally insulating barrier can comprise a plurality of juxtaposed thermal insulation panels, the thermal insulation panels having a bottom panel, a lid panel, side panels, and internal walls that delimit spaces in which perlite is placed. Sealant beads are arranged between the load-bearing wall and the bottom panel to compensate for deviations of the load-bearing wall from a flat reference.

[0004] In service, the walls of the tank are subjected to numerous stresses. In particular, the walls are subjected to compressive forces due to the loading of the tank, to thermal stresses during cooling, and to forces due to dynamic shocks from the fluid contained in the tank.

[0005] Furthermore, for safety reasons, the thermally insulating barrier must be entirely placed under an inert atmosphere by circulating an inert gas. It is important that there are no spaces inaccessible to the inert gas in which overpressure and / or an accumulation of flammable and / or explosive chemical species could occur. Summary

[0006] According to one embodiment, the invention provides an insulated enclosure for a sealed and thermally insulating tank intended to contain a liquefied gas, the insulated enclosure comprising a lid panel, a bottom panel spaced from the lid panel in a vertical direction, and side panels, the side panels extending in the vertical direction and connecting the bottom panel and the lid panel along the edges of the bottom panel and the lid panel so as to delimit an interior space of the insulated enclosure, the side panels comprising longitudinal side panels and transverse side panels, the longitudinal side panels extending in a longitudinal direction and the transverse side panels extending in a transverse direction, the transverse direction being orthogonal to the longitudinal direction,and the longitudinal and transverse directions being orthogonal to the vertical direction, said heat-insulating box further comprising a plurality of internal partitions arranged in a vertical plane and dividing said internal space into a plurality of compartments, the compartments receiving heat-insulating lining, the plurality of internal partitions comprising transverse internal partitions extending along the transverse direction and spaced from each other along the longitudinal direction, and longitudinal internal partitions extending along the longitudinal direction and spaced from each other along the transverse direction, in which the bottom panel is coated with sealant elements comprising longitudinal rows of sealant and transverse rows of sealant, each longitudinal row of sealant comprising longitudinal portions of sealant which are aligned parallel to the longitudinal direction,arranged directly opposite one of said internal longitudinal partitions and each arranged between two adjacent transverse rows of sealant, each transverse row of sealant comprising transverse portions of sealant which are aligned parallel to the transverse direction, arranged directly opposite one of said internal transverse partitions and each arranged between two adjacent longitudinal rows of sealant, the longitudinal portions of sealant not being contiguous with the transverse portions of sealant.

[0007] The thermally insulated box is designed to rest against a load-bearing wall of the sealed and thermally insulating tank by means of sealant elements. The sealant elements are designed to compensate for deviations of the load-bearing wall from a flat reference.

[0008] With this arrangement of the sealant elements, the longitudinal and transverse sealant portions respectively provide support for the internal longitudinal and transverse partitions, which gives the heat-insulating box a high resistance to compressive forces in the vertical direction.

[0009] Moreover, the support of the internal longitudinal and transverse partitions is at least ensured in the areas between the intersections of the internal transverse partitions with the internal longitudinal partitions, that is to say in areas through which the compressive forces pass most frequently, in particular when the internal transverse and longitudinal partitions are nested one inside the other by notches at the level of the intersections so that there may be some play at the level of said intersections.

[0010] By "non-contiguous," it is meant that the longitudinal sections of sealant are separated from the transverse sections of sealant; in other words, that there are gaps between the longitudinal and transverse sections of sealant. These gaps allow gas circulation between the back panel and the load-bearing wall, thus preventing the existence of spaces inaccessible to inert gas for the inert atmosphere of the thermally insulating barrier.

[0011] Thus, the resistance of the heat-insulating box to compression forces is improved while ensuring that there are no spaces inaccessible to the inert gas.

[0012] According to embodiments, such a thermally insulated box may include one or more of the following characteristics.

[0013] According to one embodiment, the mastic elements are intended to bear against a load-bearing wall.

[0014] According to one embodiment, one of the transverse rows of sealant is arranged opposite each of the internal transverse partitions.

[0015] According to one embodiment, one of the longitudinal rows of sealant is arranged opposite each of the internal longitudinal partitions.

[0016] According to one embodiment, the plurality of internal partitions is in contact against the bottom panel and the lid panel.

[0017] Thus, the support of the internal longitudinal partitions and the internal transverse partitions by the longitudinal and transverse sealant portions contributes to the support of the cover panel by the internal partitions, which further improves the resistance of the heat-insulating box to compressive forces in the vertical direction.

[0018] According to one embodiment, the heat-insulating lining is gas-permeable, and the heat-insulating enclosure has through-holes connecting the interior space of the heat-insulating enclosure with its exterior. Thus, inert gas can also circulate within the interior space of the heat-insulating enclosure. By For example, through-holes are provided on the bottom panel and / or on at least one side panel, including at least one transverse side panel.

[0019] In one embodiment, the longitudinal sealant portions are longitudinal sealant beads extending along the longitudinal direction. In another embodiment, the longitudinal sealant portions are sealant patches, for example, in the shape of a disc or an ellipse. By using such sealant patches instead of sealant beads, it is possible to better control the amount of sealant used per heat-insulating box.

[0020] According to one embodiment, the sealant elements further comprise external longitudinal sealant beads, each of the external longitudinal sealant beads extending in the longitudinal direction partly at the right-of-way of a longitudinal side panel.

[0021] The external longitudinal sealant beads provide support for the longitudinal side panels, which further improves the resistance of the heat-insulating box to compressive forces in the vertical direction.

[0022] According to one embodiment, the transverse sealant portions are formed by transverse sealant beads extending along the transverse direction.

[0023] In one embodiment, each of the transverse sealant beads passes under at least one internal longitudinal partition. In a particular embodiment, each transverse row of sealant is continuous and consists of a transverse sealant bead, such that each of the transverse sealant beads passes under all the internal longitudinal partitions.

[0024] According to one embodiment, the ends of each of the transverse sealant beads are located between two adjacent longitudinal rows of sealant.

[0025] According to one embodiment, the sealant elements further comprise external transverse sealant beads, each of the external transverse sealant beads extending in the transverse direction partly at the right-of-way of one of the transverse side panels or between a vertical plane in which one of the transverse side panels extends and a vertical plane in which one of the internal transverse partitions extends.

[0026] According to one embodiment, the invention also provides a sealed and thermally insulating tank integrated into a load-bearing structure, said tank comprising a tank wall fixed to a load-bearing wall of the load-bearing structure, the tank wall comprising, in a thickness direction from the outside to the inside of the tank, a thermally insulating barrier retained on the load-bearing wall, and a sealing membrane supported by the thermally insulating barrier, the thermally insulating barrier comprising a plurality of juxtaposed thermal insulation panels, in which at least one of said thermal insulation panels is, according to any one of the modes of the aforementioned realization, the bottom panel of said heat-insulating box resting on the load-bearing wall by means of the sealant elements of said heat-insulating box and the vertical direction of the heat-insulating box being parallel to the thickness direction.

[0027] Since the thermally insulated enclosure exhibits high resistance to compressive forces in its vertical direction, the tank wall is capable of withstanding significant compressive forces in the thickness direction. The lid panel of the thermally insulated enclosure can form a support surface for the sealing membrane. Furthermore, the gaps between the longitudinal and transverse sealant portions are intended to remain after the longitudinal and transverse sealant portions have been compressed against the load-bearing wall during the installation of the thermally insulated enclosure; these gaps allow gas circulation between the bottom panel and the load-bearing wall, thus preventing the existence of spaces inaccessible to the inert gas within the thermally insulating barrier.

[0028] In one embodiment, the liquefied gas is LNG, namely a mixture with a high methane content stored at a temperature of approximately -162°C at atmospheric pressure. Other liquefied gases may also be considered, in particular ethane, propane, butane, or ethylene. Liquefied gases may also be stored under pressure, for example, at a relative pressure between 2 and 20 bar, and in particular at a relative pressure close to 2 bar. The tank may be constructed using various techniques, including an integrated membrane tank or a self-supporting tank.

[0029] Such a tank can be part of an onshore storage facility, for example for storing LNG, or be installed in a floating structure, whether coastal or deep-water, including an LNG carrier, a floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU), a floating production and storage unit (FPSO), and others. Such a tank can also serve as a fuel tank in any type of ship.

[0030] According to one embodiment, a ship for the transport of a liquefied gas comprises a double hull and the aforementioned tank disposed in the double hull.

[0031] According to one embodiment, the invention also provides a transfer system for a liquefied gas, the system comprising the aforementioned vessel, insulated pipes arranged to connect the tank installed in the hull of the vessel to a floating or land-based storage facility and a pump to drive a flow of fluid / liquefied gas through the insulated pipes from or to the floating or land-based storage facility to or from the vessel's tank.

[0032] According to one embodiment, the invention also provides a method for loading or unloading such a vessel, in which a liquefied gas is conveyed through insulated pipelines to or from a floating or land-based storage facility to or from the ship's tank. Brief description of the figures

[0033] The invention will be better understood, and other objects, details, features and advantages thereof will become more apparent from the following description of several particular embodiments of the invention, given solely by way of illustration and not limitation, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0034] [Fig-1] Fig. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a tank wall of a tank Waterproof and thermally insulating.

[0035] [Fig.2] Fig.2 is a partial exploded and perspective view of a heat-insulating box, the heat-insulating lining having been intentionally omitted from the drawing.

[0036] [Fig.3] The [Fig.3] is a schematic view of the tank wall of the [Fig.1] from below from the load-bearing wall, the view being centered on a thermally insulated box.

[0037] [Fig.4] The [Fig.4] is a view analogous to the [Fig.3], showing a first variant of the embodiment.

[0038] [Fig.5] The [Fig.5] is a view analogous to the [Fig.3], showing a second variant embodiment.

[0039] [Fig.6] The [Fig.6] is a view analogous to the [Fig.3], showing a third variant embodiment.

[0040] [Fig. 7] [Fig. 7] is a schematic cutaway view of a tank of an LNG carrier and a loading / unloading terminal for this tank. Description of embodiments

[0041] A sealed and thermally insulated membrane tank for storing liquefied gas is described below. The tank comprises a plurality of tank walls 1.

[0042] A tank wall 1 is schematically shown in cross-section in [Fig. 1]. As shown, the tank wall 1 has a multilayer structure comprising, from the outside to the inside of the tank, a secondary thermally insulating barrier 2 comprising secondary insulating elements 7, resting against a load-bearing wall 3, a secondary sealing membrane 4 resting against the secondary thermally insulating barrier 2, a primary thermally insulating barrier 5 comprising primary insulating elements 8, resting against the secondary sealing membrane 4, and a primary sealing membrane 6 intended to be in contact with the liquefied gas contained in the tank. The primary sealing membrane 6 defines an internal space intended to receive the liquefied gas. By way of example, such membrane tanks are described in particular in patent application FR2877638.

[0043] The load-bearing wall 3 is part of a load-bearing structure, such as the double hull of a ship.

[0044] The liquefied gas intended for storage in the tank may, in particular, be liquefied natural gas (LNG), that is to say, a gaseous mixture consisting mainly of methane and one or more other hydrocarbons. The liquefied gas may also be ethane or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), that is to say, a mixture of hydrocarbons from petroleum refining consisting essentially of propane and butane.

[0045] The secondary insulating elements 7 take the form of heat-insulating boxes. Figure 2 shows an exploded view of such a heat-insulating box 7.

[0046] The heat-insulating box 7 is for example made from wood and has a general rectangular parallelepiped shape.

[0047] The heat-insulating box 7 comprises a lid panel 21, a bottom panel 22, and side panels 23, 24.

[0048] The bottom panel 22 is spaced from the lid panel 21 along a vertical direction of the heat-insulating box 7. The vertical direction of the heat-insulating box 7 is parallel to the thickness direction E (see [Fig. 1]) of the tank wall 1 when the heat-insulating box 7 is installed in the tank wall 1. In the remainder of this description, for convenience, the vertical direction of the heat-insulating box 7 will therefore be designated by the thickness direction E.

[0049] The side panels 23, 24 extend along the thickness direction E and connect the bottom panel 22 and the lid panel 21 along the edges of the bottom panel 22 and the lid panel 21. Thus, the bottom panel 22, the lid panel 21 and the side panels 23, 24 together delimit an interior space 25 of the heat-insulating box 7.

[0050] The side panels 23, 24 are four in number: two longitudinal side panels 23 and two transverse side panels 24. The longitudinal side panels 23 are parallel to each other and extend along a longitudinal direction L. The transverse side panels 24 are parallel to each other and extend along a transverse direction T. The transverse direction T is orthogonal to the longitudinal direction L. Furthermore, the transverse direction T and the longitudinal direction L are each orthogonal to the thickness direction E.

[0051] The thermally insulated box 7 further comprises internal longitudinal partitions 33 and internal transverse partitions 34. The internal longitudinal partitions 33 extend along the longitudinal direction L and are spaced from each other along the transverse direction T, for example at regular intervals. The internal transverse partitions 34 extend along the transverse direction T and are spaced from each other along the longitudinal direction L.

[0052] The internal partitions 33, 34 extend in planes parallel to the thickness direction E and divide the interior space 25 of the heat-insulating box 7 into a plurality of compartments 26. The compartments 26 receive heat insulation, which has been intentionally omitted from the drawing in [Fig. 2]. For example, the heat insulation comprises glass wool, cellulose wadding, perlite, aerogels, fumed silica, polymer foam, or a combination thereof. The heat insulation can completely fill the compartments 26.

[0053] In addition, the internal partitions 33, 34 are in contact against the bottom panel 22 and the lid panel 21.

[0054] In one embodiment, the internal transverse partitions 34 each have a series of notches facing the bottom panel 22, and the internal longitudinal partitions 33 each have a series of complementary notches facing the lid panel 21, so that the internal partitions 33, 34 fit together in the interior space 25 of the heat-insulating box 7. Such types of arrangement with notches are illustrated in patent document FR2867831B1, in particular in figures 2 to 5, 8 and 10.

[0055] The internal partitions 33, 34 are fixed respectively to the side panels 23, 24. This fixing can be carried out in various ways, for example by means of screws or staples.

[0056] Figure 3 is a schematic view of the tank wall 1 from below, taken from the load-bearing wall 3, thus showing the secondary thermally insulating barrier 2 and its anchoring to the load-bearing wall 3. A plurality of the previously described thermal insulation panels 7 are juxtaposed on the load-bearing wall 3. More precisely, the thermal insulation panels 7 are arranged with the same orientation in the plane of the load-bearing wall 3. To simplify the drawing and the explanation that follows, only one thermal insulation panel 7 is shown in detail in the center of Figure 3. Other adjacent thermal insulation panels 7 are shown with dashed lines.

[0057] The insulating boxes 7 are anchored to the load-bearing wall 3 at their corners by anchoring members 9. With reference to [Fig. 2], the bottom panel 22 overhangs each of the two transverse side panels 24, so as to present a lip 22A. A batten 10 is disposed on each end of the lip 22A. Each batten 10 of an insulating box 7 cooperates with a respective anchoring member 9, the same anchoring member 9 cooperating with the battens 10 of a plurality of insulating boxes 7. Wedges 11 (shown in [Fig. 3]) are provided to support the insulating boxes 7 at their corners.

[0058] In [Fig. 3], sealant beads 43, 44, 45, 46 are schematically represented, by which the bottom panel 22 of the heat-insulating box 7 rests against the load-bearing wall 3. The sealant beads 43, 44, 45, 46 serve to compensate for the gaps of the load-bearing wall 3 relative to a flat reference surface. Not shown, kraft paper may be interposed between the sealant beads 43, 44, 45, 46 and the load-bearing wall 3 to prevent the sealant beads from adhering to the load-bearing wall 3. Alternatively, the aforementioned kraft paper is omitted and the secondary thermal insulation box 7 is retained on the load-bearing wall 3 at least partially by the adhesion of the sealant beads.

[0059] Figure 3 also shows the position of the internal partitions 33, 34. The partitions Internal longitudinal partitions 33 are indicated by dashed lines, and internal transverse partitions 34 are indicated by dashed lines. It should be noted that in [Fig. 3], the dimensions of internal partitions 33 and 34 have been exaggerated to ensure the legibility of the drawing.

[0060] The sealant tubes include longitudinal sealant tubes 43 and transverse sealant tubes 44.

[0061] The longitudinal sealant beads 43 extend along the longitudinal direction L. In addition, each of the longitudinal sealant beads 43 is positioned opposite an internal longitudinal partition 33. Opposite a given internal longitudinal partition 33, the longitudinal sealant beads 43 are aligned parallel to the longitudinal direction L so as to form a longitudinal row of sealant 4L.

[0062] The transverse sealant beads 44 extend along the transverse direction T. Each of the transverse sealant beads 44 is positioned opposite an internal transverse partition 34. In addition, each of the transverse sealant beads 44 passes under each of the internal longitudinal partitions 33. Each of the transverse sealant beads 44 thus forms by itself a transverse row of sealant 4T, which is continuous and comprises portions of sealant 48 aligned parallel to the transverse direction T and arranged between two longitudinal rows of sealant 4L.

[0063] The longitudinal sealant beads 43 are each arranged between two transverse rows of sealant 4T. Furthermore, the longitudinal sealant beads 43 are not contiguous with the transverse sealant beads 44. In other words, before and after the longitudinal sealant beads 43 and the transverse sealant beads 44 were compressed onto the load-bearing wall 3 during the installation of the thermal insulation box 7, the longitudinal sealant beads 43 are at a distance from the transverse sealant beads 44; in other words, gaps remain between the longitudinal sealant beads 43 and the transverse sealant beads 44.

[0064] Since the sealant beads 43, 44 are positioned directly above the internal partitions 33, 34, the sealant beads 43, 44 support the internal partitions 33, 34, which themselves are in contact with the bottom panel 22 and the lid panel 21, and thus support the lid panel 21. The described arrangement of the sealant beads 43, 44 thus provides support for the internal partitions 33, 34 and the panel of cover 21, in all areas positioned between the intersections of the internal partitions 33, 34, which gives the heat-insulating box 7 a high resistance to compressive forces along the thickness direction E.

[0065] Furthermore, the gaps remaining between the longitudinal sealant strips 43 and the transverse sealant strips 44 allow gas circulation between the bottom panel 22 and the load-bearing wall 3. When the tank is filled with liquefied gas, the thermally insulating barrier 2 is placed under an inert atmosphere by circulating an inert gas, such as nitrogen. These gaps prevent the existence of spaces inaccessible to the inert gas between the bottom panel 22 and the load-bearing wall 3. Moreover, these gaps prevent pockets of gas from remaining trapped between the bottom panel 22, the load-bearing wall 3, and the sealant strips 43, 44 after the installation of the thermal insulation box 7 on the load-bearing wall 3.

[0066] Returning to [Fig. 2], the thermally insulated box may also have through-holes 27 communicating with the interior space 25, to allow the circulation of the inert gas within the interior space 25. The thermal insulation lining described above is, in this case, gas-permeable. In the example shown, the through-holes 27 are provided in the transverse side panels 24. Alternatively, it is also possible to provide the through-holes 27 on the longitudinal side panels 23 and / or on the bottom panel 22.

[0067] In the embodiment shown, transverse sealant beads 46, referred to as external, extend along the transverse direction T and are each arranged between a vertical plane in which a transverse side panel 24 extends and a vertical plane in which the internal transverse partition 34 closest to said transverse side panel 24 extends. The longitudinal row of sealant 4L is extended by additional longitudinal sealant beads 45 aligned with the longitudinal sealant beads 43. The additional longitudinal sealant beads 45 are not joined with the transverse sealant beads 44 and the external transverse sealant beads 46, which also leaves gaps allowing gas circulation as described above.

[0068] Fig. 4 represents a first variant embodiment of the tank wall 1 described with reference to Figures 1, 2 and 3. On this Fig. 4, only the heat-insulating box 7 in the center of Fig. 3 is shown, and elements similar or identical to those of Fig. 3 bear the same reference signs.

[0069] In this first embodiment, the sealant beads further comprise external longitudinal sealant beads 47. The external longitudinal sealant beads 47 extend along the longitudinal direction L and are each arranged between a vertical plane in which a longitudinal side panel 23 extends and the ends of the transverse sealant beads 44. However, As shown in the enlargement on the right of [Fig.4], each outer longitudinal sealant bead 47 is sufficiently close to the vertical plane of the longitudinal side panel 23 so that, after the sealant beads have been crushed onto the load-bearing wall 3 during the installation of the thermal insulation box 7, part of the sealant forming the outer longitudinal sealant bead 47 is partially located opposite the longitudinal side panel 23. Thus, the outer longitudinal sealant beads 47 provide support for the longitudinal side panels 23 which further improves the resistance of the thermal insulation box 7 to compressive forces along the thickness direction E.It is preferable that the outer longitudinal sealant beads 47 be positioned so that, even after the sealant beads have been crushed onto the load-bearing wall 3 during the installation of the thermal insulation box 7, the sealant forming the outer longitudinal sealant beads 47 does not overflow from the longitudinal side panels 23. This avoids the unwanted presence of sealant in the space formed between the longitudinal side panels 23 of two adjacent heat-insulating boxes 7.

[0070] Similarly, each external transverse sealant bead 46 can be sufficiently close to the vertical plane of the longitudinal side panel 23 so that, after the sealant beads have been compressed against the load-bearing wall 3 during the installation of the insulation box 7, some of the sealant forming the external transverse longitudinal sealant bead 46 is partially located opposite the transverse side panel 24. However, it is preferable that the external transverse sealant beads 46 be sufficiently far from the edge 22A of the bottom panel 22 so that, even after the sealant beads have been compressed against the load-bearing wall 3 during the installation of the insulation box 7, the sealant forming the external transverse sealant beads 46 is not located under the transverse side panels 24. This prevents the undesirable presence of sealant in the space formed between the transverse side panels 24. of two adjacent thermally insulated boxes 7.

[0071] Fig. 5 represents a second variant embodiment of the tank wall 1 described with reference to Figures 1, 2 and 3. On this Fig. 5, only the heat-insulating box 7 in the center of Fig. 3 is shown, and elements similar or identical to those of Fig. 3 bear the same reference signs.

[0072] This second embodiment differs from the embodiment shown in [Fig. 3] in that, in the longitudinal rows of sealant 4L, the longitudinal sealant beads 43 are replaced by sealant patches 143, for example, disc-shaped. The sealant patches 143 are also not contiguous with the transverse sealant beads 44. Similarly, the longitudinal sealant beads 45 are replaced by sealant patches 145 that are not contiguous with the transverse sealant beads 44 and the outer transverse sealant beads 46. The sealant patches 143, 145 can be disc-shaped as shown in [Fig. 5], by example, or ellipse. By using such patches of sealant 143, 145 instead of sealant rolls, it is possible to better control the amount of sealant used per thermal insulation box 7.

[0073] It should be noted that the first embodiment and the second embodiment can be combined, i.e. that the bottom panel 22 of the heat-insulating box 7 can be coated with the portions of sealant 143 shown in [Fig.5] and the external longitudinal sealant beads 47 shown in [Fig.4].

[0074] Figure 6 represents a third variant embodiment of the tank wall 1 described with reference to Figures 1, 2 and 3. On this Figure 6, only the heat-insulating box 7 in the center of Figure 3 is shown, and elements similar or identical to those of Figure 3 bear the same reference symbols.

[0075] This third embodiment differs from the embodiment shown in [Fig. 3] in that the transverse rows of sealant 4T are formed by transverse sealant beads 244 extending along the longitudinal direction L. The transverse sealant beads 244 are aligned parallel to the transverse direction T. Each of the transverse sealant beads 244 is positioned opposite an internal transverse partition 44. The ends of the transverse sealant beads 244 are located between two adjacent longitudinal rows of sealant 4L. For this purpose, for example, the ends of the transverse sealant beads 244 are positioned so that the transverse sealant beads 244 do not pass under the internal longitudinal partitions 33; in other words, the transverse rows of sealant 4T are interrupted at each of the internal longitudinal partitions 33.In this variant of the embodiment as well, the longitudinal sealant beads 43 are not joined with the transverse sealant beads 244.

[0076] Optionally, the transverse sealant beads 46 can also each be replaced by transverse sealant beads 246 aligned parallel to the transverse direction T and not passing under the internal longitudinal partitions 33. In this embodiment also, the longitudinal sealant beads 45 are not joined with the transverse sealant beads 244, 246.

[0077] It should be noted that the third embodiment can be combined with the first embodiment and / or the second embodiment, i.e. that the bottom panel 22 of the heat-insulating box 7 can be coated with the transverse sealant beads 244, 246 shown in [Fig.6], the sealant portions 143 shown in [Fig.5] and / or the external longitudinal sealant beads 47 shown in [Fig.4].

[0078] It should also be noted that, alternatively, the transverse rows of 4T sealant shown in Figures 3, 4 and 5 can be interrupted at one or more of the internal longitudinal partitions 33, so that the beads transverse sealant 44 passes under only some of the internal longitudinal partitions 33. In this case, the transverse rows of sealant 4T comprise several transverse sealant beads 44 aligned parallel to the transverse direction T, in a manner analogous to the transverse sealant beads 244. The same may be true for the external transverse sealant beads 46 shown in figures 3, 4 and 5.

[0079] The sealant strips or patches just described serve to compensate for deviations in the load-bearing wall 3 from a flat reference surface, as mentioned above. It should therefore be noted that the dimensions of the sealant strips 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 244, 246 and the sealant patches 143, 145, in particular their thicknesses along the thickness direction E, may vary from one heat-insulating box 7 to another on the tank wall 1.

[0080] The mastic beads 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 244, 246 can be laid in various ways. Preferably, the sealant strips 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 244, 246 are placed on the bottom panel 22 of the thermal insulation box 7 before the thermal insulation box 7 is placed on the load-bearing wall 3. Alternatively, the sealant strips 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 244, 246 are placed first on the load-bearing wall 3 before the thermal insulation box 7 is installed. The same applies to the sealant patches 143, 145. The sealant strips 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 244, 246 can be sized and manufactured as described in document WO 2020 / 193584 Al, for example.

[0081] Thanks to the sealant strips or patches, the cover panels 21 of the heat-insulating boxes 7 placed side by side on the load-bearing wall 3 form a flat support surface for the secondary sealing membrane 4.

[0082] The secondary sealing membrane 4 can be made in various ways. According to one embodiment, the secondary sealing membrane 4 comprises a continuous sheet of metal struts with raised edges. The metal struts are welded by their raised edges to parallel weld supports which are fixed in parallel grooves 21R (see [Fig. 2]) formed in the cover panels 21 of the heat-insulating boxes 7. The metal struts are, for example, made of Invar®: that is to say, an iron and nickel alloy whose coefficient of expansion is typically between 1.2 x 10⁶ and 2 x 10⁶ K⁻¹, or of an iron and manganese alloy whose coefficient of expansion is typically between 7 x 10⁶ and 10 x 10⁶ K⁻¹.

[0083] The primary thermally insulating barrier 5 can be made in various ways. According to one embodiment, the thermally insulating barrier 5 comprises a plurality of heat-insulating boxes similar to the heat-insulating boxes 7 juxtaposed to each other and resting on the secondary sealing membrane 4.

[0084] The primary sealing membrane 6 can be made in various ways. According to one embodiment, the primary sealing membrane 6 can comprise a continuous sheet of metal strakes with raised edges, in a manner analogous to the secondary sealing membrane 4, both in terms of shape and type of metallic material.

[0085] Alternatively, the tank wall 1 may be a single membrane, that is to say that the tank wall 1 may only include the thermally insulating barrier 2 and the sealing membrane 4, the sealing membrane 4 being in contact with the liquefied gas.

[0086] With reference to [Fig. 7], a cutaway view of a methane tanker 70 shows a sealed and thermally insulated tank 71 of generally prismatic shape mounted in the double hull 72 of the ship. The wall of the tank 71 comprises a primary sealing membrane intended to be in contact with the LNG contained in the tank, a secondary sealing membrane arranged between the primary sealing membrane and the double hull 72 of the ship, and two thermally insulating barriers arranged respectively between the primary sealing membrane and the secondary sealing membrane and between the secondary sealing membrane and the double hull 72.

[0087] In a manner known per se, loading / unloading pipelines 73 arranged on the upper deck of the ship can be connected, by means of suitable connectors, to a marine or port terminal to transfer a cargo of LNG from or to the tank 71.

[0088] Figure 7 shows an example of a marine terminal comprising a loading and unloading berth 75, a subsea pipeline 76, and an onshore installation 77. The loading and unloading berth 75 is a fixed offshore installation comprising 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 the loading / unloading pipelines 73. The steerable movable arm 74 adapts to all LNG carrier sizes. An unshown connecting pipeline extends inside tower 78. The loading and unloading station 75 allows the loading and unloading of the LNG carrier 70 from or to the onshore facility 77. This facility includes liquefied gas storage tanks 80 and connecting pipelines 81 linked by the subsea pipeline 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 facility 77 over a long distance, for example 5 km, which allows the LNG carrier 70 to be kept a long distance from the coast during loading and unloading operations.

[0089] To generate the pressure necessary for the transfer of the liquefied gas, pumps on board the ship 70 and / or pumps equipping the land installation 77 and / or pumps equipping the loading and unloading station 75 are used.

[0090] Although the invention has been described in connection with several particular embodiments, it is clearly evident that it is by no means limited to them and that it includes all technical equivalents of the means described as well as their combinations if these fall within the scope of the invention.

[0091] The use of the verb "comprise", "comprendre" or "include" and its conjugated forms does not exclude the presence of other elements or other steps than those stated in a claim.

[0092] In the claims, any reference sign in parentheses shall not be interpreted as a limitation of the claim.

Claims

1. Demands Insulated enclosure (7) for a sealed and thermally insulated tank intended to contain a liquefied gas, the insulated enclosure (7) comprising a lid panel (21), a bottom panel (22) spaced from the lid panel (21) in a vertical direction, and side panels (23, 24), the side panels (23, 24) extending in the vertical direction (E) and connecting the bottom panel (22) and the lid panel (21) along the edges of the bottom panel (22) and the lid panel (21) so as to delimit an interior space (25) of the insulated enclosure, the side panels (23, 24) comprising longitudinal side panels (23) and transverse side panels (24), the longitudinal side panels (23) extending in a longitudinal direction (L) and the transverse side panels (24) extending in a transverse direction (T), the direction transverse (T) being orthogonal to the longitudinal direction (L),and the longitudinal direction (L) and the transverse direction (T) being orthogonal to the vertical direction, said thermally insulated box (7) further comprising a plurality of internal partitions (33, 34) arranged in a vertical plane and dividing said internal space (25) into a plurality of compartments (26), the compartments (26) receiving thermal insulation lining, the plurality of internal partitions (33, 34) comprising transverse internal partitions (34) extending along the transverse direction (T) and spaced from each other along the longitudinal direction (L), and longitudinal internal partitions (33) extending along the longitudinal direction (L) and spaced from each other along the transverse direction (T), the transverse internal partitions (34) and the longitudinal internal partitions (33) intersecting at points; in which the bottom panel (22) is coated with sealant elements comprising longitudinal rows of sealant (4L) and transverse rows of sealant (4T), each longitudinal row of sealant (4L) comprising longitudinal sealant portions (43, 143) which are aligned parallel to the longitudinal direction (L), arranged at the right of one of said internal longitudinal partitions (33) and each arranged between two adjacent transverse rows of sealant (4T) and between two adjacent intersections, each transverse row of sealant (4T) comprising transverse sealant portions (44, 48, 244) which are aligned parallel to the transverse direction (T), arranged at the right of one of said internal transverse partitions (34) and each arranged between two adjacent longitudinal rows of sealant (4L) and between two adjacent intersections, the longitudinal sealant portions (43, 143) being not contiguous with the transverse sealant portions (44, 48, 244).

2. Heat-insulating box (7) according to claim 1, in which the plurality of internal partitions (33, 34) is in contact against the bottom panel (22) and the lid panel (21).

3. Heat-insulating box (7) according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein the longitudinal sealant portions are longitudinal sealant rolls (43) extending along the longitudinal direction (L).

4. Heat-insulating box (7) according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein the longitudinal sealant portions are sealant patches (143).

5. Heat-insulating box (7) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the sealant elements further comprise external longitudinal sealant beads (47), each of the external longitudinal sealant beads (47) extending along the longitudinal direction (L) partly at the right-hand side of one of the longitudinal side panels (23).

6. Heat-insulating box (7) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the transverse sealant portions are formed by transverse sealant rolls (44, 244) extending along the transverse direction (T).

7. Heat-insulating box (7) according to claim 6, in which each of the transverse sealant beads (44) passes under at least one internal longitudinal partition (33).

8. Heat-insulating box (7) according to claim 6, in which the ends of each of the transverse sealant rolls (244) are located between two adjacent longitudinal rows of sealant (4L).

9. Heat-insulating box (7) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the sealant elements further comprise external transverse sealant beads (46), each of the external transverse sealant beads (46) extending in the transverse direction (T) partly at the right of one of the transverse side panels (24) or between a vertical plane in which one of the transverse side panels (24) extends and a vertical plane in which one of the internal transverse partitions (34) extends.

10. A sealed and thermally insulating tank, integrated into a load-bearing structure, said tank comprising a tank wall (1) fixed to a load-bearing wall (3) of the load-bearing structure, the tank wall comprising in a thickness direction (E), from the outside to the inside of the tank, a thermally insulating barrier (2) retained on the load-bearing wall (3), and a sealing membrane (4) supported by the thermally insulating barrier (2), the thermally insulating barrier comprising a plurality of juxtaposed thermal insulation boxes, in which at least one of said thermal insulation boxes is according to any one of claims 1 to 9, the bottom panel (22) of said thermal insulation box (7) bearing on the load-bearing wall (3) by means of the sealant elements of said thermal insulation box and the vertical direction of the thermal insulation box (7) being parallel to the thickness direction (E).

11. Vessel (70) for the transport of a liquefied gas, the vessel comprising a double hull (72) and a tank (71) according to claim 10 disposed in the double hull.

12. Transfer system for a liquefied gas, the system comprising a vessel (70) according to claim 11, insulated pipelines (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 to drive a flow of liquefied gas through the insulated pipelines from or to the floating or land-based storage facility to or from the vessel's tank.

13. A method of loading or unloading a ship (70) according to claim 11, wherein a liquefied gas is conveyed through insulated pipelines (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).

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