Liquefied gas storage facility comprising a polygonal supporting structure

Abstract

The invention relates to a storage installation (1) for liquefied gas comprising: a supporting structure (10) having a bottom wall (21) and a vertical supporting wall (12) being composed of N vertical supporting panels (14);and a tank comprising a bottom wall (21) and a vertical wall (22), said bottom wall (21) comprising N / 2 angular sectors, the waterproof membrane of each angular sector (25) of the bottom wall (21) comprising first undulations (72) being spaced two by two by a regular wave pitch (26), in which the waterproof membrane of said complete vertical section (241) comprises vertical undulations (172) continuously connected to the first undulations (72) of the waterproof membrane of the angular sector (25) of the bottom wall (21), in which the waterproof membrane of each vertical half-section comprises vertical undulations (172), for each angular sector (25), two of said vertical undulations (172) of the waterproof membrane being spaced from each other by a singular wave pitch (27). Figure for the abstract: 4;

Description

Title of the invention: Liquefied gas storage installation comprising a polygonal supporting structure Technical field

[0001] The invention relates to a liquefied gas storage facility and to a tracing method for the construction of this facility. More particularly, the liquefied gas storage facility comprises a supporting structure having a regular polygonal bottom wall. Technological background

[0002] Document FR-A-2912385 or FR-A-3121196 discloses a liquefied gas storage installation comprising a supporting structure having an internal space delimited by a bottom supporting wall and a sealed and thermally insulating tank installed in the internal space of the supporting structure. The tank comprises a bottom wall arranged on the bottom supporting wall and a vertical wall arranged on the vertical supporting wall.

[0003] The vertical wall has a plurality of vertical sections. The bottom wall has a plurality of sectors which are images of each other by rotation, and where said bottom wall has the shape of a regular polygon, each side of which corresponds to one of said vertical sections.

[0004] The number of said vertical sections is twice the number of said sectors. The number of vertical sections is for example chosen to be equal to 56.

[0005] The sealed and thermally insulating tank comprising a corrugated sealed membrane intended to be in contact with a liquefied gas and a thermally insulating barrier located between the sealed membrane and the supporting structure.

[0006] The waterproof membrane of the vertical wall comprises vertical undulations spaced two by two at a regular wave pitch. The waterproof membrane of the bottom wall comprises first undulations oriented perpendicular to one of the corresponding vertical pitches, the first undulations being spaced two by two at said regular wave pitch. The vertical undulations of the vertical wall are continuously connected to the first undulations of the bottom wall.

[0007] In the case, for example, of a regular wave pitch of 340 mm where each vertical section has five vertical undulations, it is possible to estimate the diameter of the storage facility as being 56*5*340 / Pi. The directly larger storage facility solution then contains 6 vertical undulations. The diameter delta between two storage facilities is then in the example equal to 56*340 / Pi, or approximately 6m.

[0008] In the case of a larger wave pitch, this diameter delta is likely to increase proportionally. Summary of the invention

[0009] One idea behind the invention is to increase the number of dimensional possibilities for this type of storage installation, while maintaining a simple arrangement with a limited number of special parts.

[0010] According to one embodiment, the invention provides a liquefied gas storage installation comprising: a load-bearing structure having an internal space delimited by a bottom load-bearing wall and a vertical load-bearing wall, an outline of said bottom load-bearing wall having the shape of a regular polygon with N sides, N being an integer greater than or equal to 4, said vertical load-bearing wall being composed of N vertical load-bearing sections and forming a polygonal cylindrical surface having said regular polygon as a directrix, where each of the N sides of the polygon corresponds to an intersection of the bottom load-bearing wall with one of said vertical load-bearing sections; and a watertight tank installed in the internal space of the supporting structure, the watertight tank comprising a bottom wall arranged on the bottom supporting wall and a vertical wall arranged on the vertical supporting wall, said vertical wall being composed of N vertical sections, each vertical section of the vertical wall being fixed to one of the N vertical load-bearing sections, said back wall comprising N / 2 angular sectors which are images of each other by a rotation of a predetermined angle around a vertical axis, the predetermined angle being equal to 4xl80° / N, each angular sector of the back wall being connected on the one hand to a complete vertical section among the N vertical sections of the vertical wall, and connected on the other hand to two vertical half-sections each corresponding to half of a vertical section among the N vertical sections of the vertical wall, said complete vertical section being centered on the angular sector and the vertical half-sections being located on either side of the complete vertical section the sealed tank comprising a corrugated sealed membrane intended to be in contact with a liquefied gas, the waterproof membrane of each angular sector of the bottom wall comprising first undulations oriented perpendicular to the complete vertical section, the first undulations being spaced two by two with a regular wave pitch, in which the waterproof membrane of said complete vertical section comprises vertical undulations extending parallel to the vertical axis and spaced two by two at said regular wave pitch, each vertical undulation of the waterproof membrane of said complete vertical section being continuously connected to one of the first corrugations of the waterproof membrane of the angular sector of the bottom wall, in which the waterproof membrane of each vertical half-section comprises vertical corrugations extending parallel to the vertical axis, for each angular sector, two of said vertical corrugations of the waterproof membrane are spaced from each other by a singular wave pitch different from said regular wave pitch, said singular wave pitch extending at least in part over a vertical half-section.

[0011] Thanks to these characteristics, the presence of singular wave pitch between the vertical undulations for each angular sector makes it possible to decorrelate the vertical undulations of the vertical wall and the first undulations of the bottom wall. Thus, by playing on the dimension of the singular wave pitch, it is possible to obtain a multitude of intermediate dimensions between two conventional dimensions where the vertical undulations are correlated to the first undulations. In addition, this local decorrelation makes it possible to maintain a simple arrangement in which the vertical undulations of the complete vertical sections are always correlated to the first undulations. The presence of singular wave pitch also makes it possible to add intermediate dimensional solutions, which can be modulated with the value of the singular wave pitch, between two arrangements comprising only regular wave pitches.

[0012] According to embodiments, such a storage facility may comprise one or more of the following features.

[0013] According to one embodiment, the integer N is even.

[0014] According to one embodiment, the sealed tank is a sealed and thermally insulating comprising a thermally insulating barrier located between the waterproof membrane and the supporting structure

[0015] According to one embodiment, the singular wave pitch extends over a said half-pan.

[0016] According to one embodiment, the singular wave pitch extends partially or completely completely on a so-called half-pan.

[0017] According to one embodiment, at least one of the two said vertical undulations delimiting the singular wave pitch comprises a singular undulation located on the vertical half-pan on which the singular wave pitch extends, the singular undulation being discontinuous with the first undulations of the bottom wall.

[0018] According to one embodiment, each vertical half-panel has an outer edge opposite the complete vertical pane and an inner edge conjoined with the complete vertical pane; and the vertical undulation(s) located between the singular undulation and the outer edge of the half-panel on which the singular wave pitch extends are discontinuous with the first undulations of the bottom wall.

[0019] According to one embodiment, for each angular sector, the waterproof membrane of the vertical wall comprises at least one singular wave pitch, preferably only one, extending over each vertical half-panel on either side of the complete vertical pane.

[0020] According to one embodiment, the or each singular wave step is produced between a vertical undulation of the vertical half-pan and a vertical undulation of the complete vertical pan.

[0021] According to one embodiment, the singular wave pitch is less than the regular wave pitch.

[0022] According to one embodiment, the regular wave pitch is greater than or equal to 400 mm, preferably greater than or equal to 800 mm, preferably between 800 and 1200 mm, for example equal to 1020 mm.

[0023] According to one embodiment, the first undulations located perpendicular to one of the vertical half-walls are interrupted at a junction between the bottom wall and the vertical wall, the vertical undulations of said vertical half-wall being extended onto the bottom wall by an extension of a vertical undulation.

[0024] According to one embodiment, the vertical undulations of one of the vertical half-walls are interrupted at a junction between the bottom wall and the vertical wall, the first undulations, which intersect with said vertical half-wall, being extended on the vertical wall by an extension of the first undulation.

[0025] According to one embodiment, the first undulations located perpendicular to one of the vertical half-walls are extended on the vertical wall by an extension of the first undulation, the vertical undulations of said vertical half-wall also being extended on the bottom wall by an extension of the vertical undulation.

[0026] According to one embodiment, the waterproof membrane of an angular sector of the bottom wall comprises second undulations spaced from each other and extending perpendicularly to the first undulations, the vertical undulation extensions being interrupted on the bottom wall between a junction between the bottom wall and the vertical wall and a said second undulation located near the junction between the bottom wall and the vertical wall.

[0027] According to one embodiment, the membrane of the vertical wall comprises horizontal undulations spaced from each other and extending perpendicularly to the vertical undulations, the extensions of the first undulation being interrupted on the vertical wall between a junction between the bottom wall and the vertical wall and a said horizontal undulation located near the junction between the bottom wall and the vertical wall.

[0028] According to one embodiment, N is equal to 8 or 56.

[0029] According to one embodiment, the storage facility is a land storage.

[0030] According to one embodiment, the invention also provides a transfer system for a cold liquid product, the system comprising a aforementioned land-based storage facility, a ship comprising a double hull, insulated pipes arranged to connect a tank installed in the double hull of the ship to the land-based storage structure and a pump for driving a flow of cold liquid product through the insulated pipes from or to the land-based storage structure to or from the tank of the ship.

[0031] According to one embodiment, the invention also provides a method for loading or unloading a ship, in which a cold liquid product is conveyed through insulated pipes from or to the aforementioned land-based storage structure to or from a tank of the ship. Brief description of the figures

[0032] 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.

[0033] [Fig. 1] represents a partial perspective and sectional view of a liquefied gas storage facility.

[0034] [Fig.2] is a top view of the storage facility of [Fig.l], making it possible to distinguish the polygonal outline of the supporting structure of [Fig.l] in an exemplary embodiment.

[0035] [Fig. 3] is a partial perspective view, from the inside of a liquefied storage installation according to the prior art, of the outer end of an angular sector of the bottom wall as well as portions of the vertical wall of the tank.

[0036] [Fig. 4] is a schematic perspective view, from inside the liquefied gas storage installation, of a portion of an angular sector of the bottom wall as well as portions of the vertical wall of the tank according to a first embodiment.

[0037] [Fig. 5] is a schematic perspective view, from inside the liquefied gas storage installation, of a portion of an angular sector of the bottom wall as well as portions of the vertical wall of the tank according to a second embodiment.

[0038] [Fig.6] represents a top view of the waterproof membrane of a sector of the bottom wall of a tank installed in a liquefied gas storage installation, from inside the liquefied gas storage installation according to one embodiment.

[0039] [Fig.7] is a view of detail VII of [Fig.6], representing more particularly a portion of crown.

[0040] [Fig.8] is a cutaway schematic representation of an LNG carrier vessel comprising a ship tank and a transfer system between the vessel and the land-based storage facility. Description of the embodiments

[0041] As mentioned above, the invention relates to the production of a liquefied gas storage installation, which is referred to as 1 in the following description. The installation 1 is capable of storing a liquefied gas, in particular liquefied natural gas (LNG) at a temperature of approximately -162°C and at atmospheric pressure or other liquefied gases.

[0042] The installation 1 mainly comprises a supporting structure 10 and a sealed and thermally insulating tank 20 installed in the internal space of the supporting structure 10.

[0043] The supporting structure 10 is first described. The supporting structure 10 comprises a bottom supporting wall 11 and a vertical supporting wall 12.

[0044] The installation 1 may be designed to be located on land. The bottom load-bearing wall 11 is then typically horizontal, i.e. located in a plane perpendicular to the direction of the acceleration of gravity, represented in the figures by a vertical axis Z, within dimensional tolerances. The bottom load-bearing wall 11 may be located at ground level or possibly below ground level. The supporting structure 10 is for example made of concrete.

[0045] Alternatively, the installation 1 may be intended to be installed on board a floating structure, such as a ship. In this case, the supporting structure 10 is a portion of a double hull that the floating structure has.

[0046] In the following, we will consider more particularly the case of an installation 1 located on land and where the bottom load-bearing wall 11 is horizontal. It is nevertheless specified that the following description applies to any orientation of the bottom load-bearing wall 11 relative to the direction of the acceleration of gravity.

[0047] The outline of the bottom load-bearing wall 11 is designed to have the shape of a regular polygon with N sides, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 4. Advantageously, N is an even integer greater than or equal to 4. More advantageously, N is an even integer between 8 and 56. An installation 1 where N is equal to 8 or 56 is more particularly interesting.

[0048] In addition to the bottom load-bearing wall 11, the load-bearing structure 10 comprises a vertical load-bearing wall 12. As can be seen more clearly in [Fig. 1], this vertical load-bearing wall 12 forms a polygonal cylindrical surface, having the polygon formed by the polygonal contour of the bottom load-bearing wall 11 as a directrix. The vertical load-bearing wall 12 extends in a vertical direction, i.e. in a perpendicular direction. pendicular to the plane of the bottom load-bearing wall 11 within dimensional tolerances.

[0049] Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the vertical load-bearing wall 12 is composed of N vertical load-bearing sections 14. Each of the N sides of the polygonal outline of the bottom load-bearing wall 11 corresponds to an intersection of the bottom load-bearing wall 11 with one of the vertical load-bearing sections 14. The vertical load-bearing sections 14 are connected to each other by edges 13, each edge 13 corresponding to a vertex of the polygonal outline of the bottom load-bearing wall 11.

[0050] An embodiment of a sealed and thermally insulating tank 20 which can be installed in the internal space of the supporting structure 10 will now be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8. The tank 20 comprises a bottom wall 21 arranged on the bottom supporting wall 11, and a vertical wall 22 arranged on the vertical supporting wall 12. In the same way as the bottom supporting wall 11, the bottom wall 21 has a contour having the shape of a regular polygon with N sides.

[0051] The vertical wall 22 is composed of N vertical sections 24. Each of the N sides of the polygonal contour of the bottom wall 21 corresponds to an intersection of the bottom wall 21 with one of the vertical sections 24. The vertical sections 24 are connected to each other by edges 23, each edge 23 corresponding to a vertex of the polygonal contour of the bottom wall 21.

[0052] The bottom wall 21 comprises a plurality of angular sectors 25. The sectors 25 are images of each other by rotation around a vertical axis, that is to say around an axis extending parallel to the vertical sections 24. This vertical axis passes through a point located in the vicinity of the geometric center of the bottom load-bearing wall 11. More precisely, the sectors 25 are images of each other by rotation of an angle equal to 4xl80° / N, in the case where an angular sector 25 is connected to two vertical sections 24. Thanks to this exactly repeated structure, the same parts can be used to construct each angular sector 25.

[0053] In the example shown in Figures 3 and 6, we have N = 56 and in the one shown [Fig.2], we have N = 8. Only one sector 25 is shown in [Fig.6] so as not to overload the drawing.

[0054] The bottom wall 21 and the vertical wall 22 comprise, going from the supporting structure towards the interior space of the tank 20, a secondary thermally insulating barrier, a secondary sealed membrane, a primary thermally insulating barrier, and a primary sealed membrane intended to be in contact with the liquefied gas contained in the tank 20. The bottom wall 21 and the vertical wall 22 can be made using modular elements. These modular elements can correspond to the GST® technology marketed by the applicant. Reference may thus be made to document US 6,035,795 for the description of certain modular elements and to document WO2022200536 for other specifics of this technology not described here.

[0055] The primary waterproof membrane 70 of the bottom wall 21 is mainly made up of juxtaposed rectangular metal plates 71. On one of the lateral edges of the sectors 25, the primary waterproof membrane 70 further comprises connecting metal plates 71A. The connecting metal plates 71A are generally trapezoidal in shape and allow the connection between said sector 25 and a neighboring sector 25, thus making it possible to complete the primary waterproof membrane 70.

[0056] The primary waterproof membrane 70 is corrugated, in order to allow it to resist thermal contraction phenomena due to contact with the liquefied gas. More precisely, at the level of the bottom wall 21, the primary waterproof membrane 70 has at least corrugations 72 which are radiating, that is to say which are parallel to each other and extend along a sector axis X from the center of the tank 20 towards the vertical sides 24, the sector axis X being perpendicular to the vertical axis Z.

[0057] The first corrugations 72 are spaced two by two with a regular wave pitch 26. In addition, the primary waterproof membrane 70 typically has second corrugations 73 which are perpendicular to the first corrugations 72. As shown in the figures and in particular in [Fig. 3], the plates 71, 71A each have portions of corrugations which, when the plates 71 and 71A are juxtaposed, together constitute the corrugations 72, 73.

[0058] As shown more particularly in [Fig.6], the rectangular metal plates 71 are arranged to form crown portions 75 juxtaposed successively along the sector axis X. The connecting metal plates 71A extend each of the crown portions 75 so as to form, with all of the angular sectors, crowns all around the center of the bottom wall 21. A crown portion 75 is called a set of entire metal plates 71, 71A. In other words, the edges of the crown portions 75 are formed by edges of the metal plates 71, 71A. The crown portions 75 located in the different angular sectors 25 are connected together to form crowns around a central portion of the bottom wall 21.

[0059] The corrugated metal connecting plates 71A of the crown portions 75 are aligned with each other in a radial direction. The radial direction is inclined relative to the sector axis X by an angle equal to half the angular sector angle 25. The waterproof membrane of each angular sector 25 of the bottom wall 21 comprises a radial corrugation 77 located near an edge of the angular sector 25. The radial corrugation 77 extends in the radial direction and is produced on the corrugated metal connecting plates 71A.

[0060] [Fig. 3], representing the prior art, shows, in perspective from the inside of the installation 1, the radially outer end of an angular sector 25 as well as portions of the vertical wall 22 of the tank 20. In [Fig.3], the vertical load-bearing sections 14 of the vertical load-bearing wall 12 are not shown.

[0061] At the level of the vertical wall 22, the metallic waterproof membrane 170 is mainly made up of juxtaposed rectangular metallic plates 171 and has corrugations 172 which are vertical, that is to say which extend parallel to the vertical axis Z, parallel to the vertical load-bearing sections 14. The vertical corrugations 172 are spaced two by two with the regular wave pitch 26.

[0062] In addition, the sealed metal membrane 170 typically has horizontal corrugations 173 which are perpendicular to the vertical corrugations 172 and extend all the way around the tank 20. These metal plates 171 each have portions of corrugations which, when the metal plates 171 are juxtaposed, together constitute the corrugations 172, 173, as visible in [Fig.3].

[0063] As illustrated in Figures 3 to 5, each angular sector 25 is connected on the one hand to a complete vertical section 241 among the N vertical sections 24 and on the other hand to two vertical half-sections 242 each corresponding to half of a vertical section 24 among the N vertical sections 24 of the vertical wall 22. The complete vertical section 241 is centered on the angular sector 25 and the vertical half-sections 242 are located on either side of the complete vertical section 241. The angular sectors 25 are represented schematically in dotted lines in [Fig. 2]. The sector axis X is here defined for each angular sector 25 as passing through the center of the tank 20 and perpendicular to the corresponding complete vertical section 241.

[0064] In [Fig. 3] of the prior art, at the right of the complete vertical panel 241 and the vertical half-panels 242, the metal plates 71 and the connecting metal plates 71A are extended by metal joining plates 74 which carry portions of corrugations located in the extension of the portions of corrugations of the metal plates 71, 71A, so as to extend the first corrugations 72 to corner joining pieces 69. These corner joining pieces 69 are more particularly described in document WO2022200536. Thus, in the prior art, the first corrugations 72 are extended to the complete vertical panel 241 and the vertical half-panels 242, so as to be continuously connected to the vertical corrugations 172 by means of the corner joining pieces 69.

[0065] As explained in the introduction, with this type of arrangement of the prior art which imposes continuity between the first corrugations 72 of the bottom wall 21 and the vertical corrugations 172 of the vertical wall 22 with a regular corrugation pitch 26, the diameter delta between two storage installations according to this arrangement is imposed by the addition or removal of a vertical corrugation 172 per vertical section 24 (and therefore of the associated first corrugation). The diameter delta is thus proportional at regular wave pitch 26. The number of dimensional possibilities for such an installation is therefore limited, which is all the more problematic when the regular wave pitch 26 is of large size.

[0066] Figures 4 and 5 represent two embodiments of the storage installation 1 in which, unlike the prior art illustrated in [Fig. 3], by locally decorrelating vertical corrugations 172 from their associated first corrugations 72. In these diagrams, the solid lines represent the edges of the plates 71, 71A, 171 as well as the junction 28 between the bottom wall 21 and the vertical wall 22, while the dotted lines represent the corrugations 72, 73, 77, 172, 173. Similarly, in [Fig. 6], the solid lines represent the edges of the plates 71, 71A while the dotted lines represent the corrugations 72, 73, 77.

[0067] As visible in these figures 4 and 5, the continuity of the first undulations 72 with the vertical undulations 172 at the level of the complete vertical section 241 for each angular sector 25 is preserved in a manner analogous to the prior art. However, at the level of each vertical half-section 242, the vertical undulations 172 are discontinuous with the first undulations 72.

[0068] Indeed, for each angular sector 25, a singular wave pitch 27 smaller than the regular wave pitch 26 has been introduced between each vertical half-panel 242 and the complete vertical pane 241. The two vertical undulations 172 delimiting the singular wave pitch 27 thus comprise a singular undulation 174 located on the vertical half-panel 242, as visible in figures 4 and 5. Thus, the singular undulation 174 as well as the other vertical undulations 172 located between the singular undulation 174 and an outer edge of the half-panel are misaligned and therefore discontinuous with the first undulations 72 of the bottom wall 21.

[0069] The presence of the singular wave pitch 27 thus makes it possible to add intermediate dimensional solutions, which can be modulated with the value of the singular wave pitch 27, between two arrangements comprising only regular wave pitches 26.

[0070] A sudden stop of the first undulations 72 and the vertical undulations 172 at the junction between a vertical half-panel 242 and the bottom wall 21 can affect the flexibility of the waterproof membrane at this junction.

[0071] This is why it is advantageous to extend some of these first undulations 72 or vertical undulations beyond this junction so that the latter extends onto the vertical wall 22 or onto the bottom wall 21 respectively. This extension thus locally improves the flexibility of the waterproof member.

[0072] Thus, in the first embodiment illustrated in [Fig.4], the vertical undulations 172 of each vertical half-panel 242 are extended onto the bottom wall 21 by a vertical undulation extension 175 so that the vertical undulations 172 extend onto the bottom wall 21. This extension onto the bottom wall 21 remains however localized. Indeed, the vertical corrugation extensions 175 are interrupted on the bottom wall 21 at a distance from the second corrugation 73 located near the junction between the bottom wall 21 and the vertical wall 22.

[0073] Similarly, in the second embodiment illustrated in [Fig.5], it is the first corrugations 72 which are extended onto the vertical half-panel 242 by an extension of the first corrugation 76 so that the first corrugations 72 extend onto the vertical wall 22. This extension onto the vertical wall 22, however, remains localized. Indeed, the extensions of the first corrugation 76 are interrupted on the vertical wall 22 at a distance from the horizontal corrugation 173 located near the junction between the bottom wall 21 and the vertical wall 22.

[0074] In an embodiment not illustrated, it is also conceivable that the first undulations 72 and the vertical undulations 172 are extended respectively on the vertical wall 22 and the bottom wall 21.

[0075] [Fig. 6] represents the primary waterproof membrane 70 of an angular sector 25 of the bottom wall 21 seen from above according to one embodiment. As mentioned previously, the metal plates 71 of each angular sector 25 are arranged to form crown portions 75 juxtaposed successively along the sector axis X. The width of a crown portion 75 corresponds for a large majority of the metal plates 71 to the length of these plates 71.

[0076] As presented previously, in the prior art, an arrangement strategy by angular sector 25 is applied which aims to link the wave pitch 26 of the first undulations 72 and the length of the metal plates 71, or a width of the crown portion 75, to the angle of the angular sector 25 in order in particular to limit the number of different parts on an angular sector 25. Thus, the total number of first undulations 72 present on the crown portions 75 which is increasing in the direction of the vertical wall 22 is increased at each successive crown portion by two new first undulations on either side of the angular sector 25. Indeed, in the prior art, the crown portion width L, the regular wave pitch P and the angular sector angle A are linked by the following equation:

[0077] tan(A / 2)=P / L

[0078] Nevertheless, in the case of a high wave pitch such as that represented in the example illustrated in [Fig.6] namely 1020 mm wave pitch for plates of 3000 x 1000 mm, this arrangement strategy does not make it possible to maintain a coherent angular sector angle without significantly increasing the size of the plates 71.

[0079] Thus, in the embodiment shown [Fig.6] with a wave pitch of 1020 mm, the total number of first undulations 72 present on the crown portions 75 is increased only every three successive crown portions 75. In this example, the factor three thus makes it possible to maintain values ​​of the angular sector angle 25 and the size of the metal plates 71 within an admissible range.

[0080] The first undulations 72 of each angular sector 25 thus comprise, as visible in [Fig.6], first whole undulations 721 extending from a junction between the bottom wall 21 and the vertical wall 22 to a central crown portion 75 near a center of the bottom wall 21, and first partial undulations 722 which are interrupted by a wave interruption 723. Indeed, the first partial undulations 722 are interrupted when said first partial undulation 722 crosses a corrugated metal connecting plate 71A. Thus, the wave interruption 723 is located at a distance from the radial undulation 77 of said angular sector 25 or from a neighboring angular sector. In addition, the wave interruption 723 is located between two adjacent second undulations 73.

[0081] By stopping the first partial corrugations 722 at a corrugated metal connecting plate 71 A, it is thus possible to maintain a minimum distance between the radial corrugation 75 and said first partial corrugation 722 while limiting the maximum wave pitch between the radial corrugation 75 and the first corrugation 72 located closest to the radial corrugation 75.

[0082] [Fig.7] more particularly represents one of the crown portions 75 of the angular sector 25 illustrated in [Fig.6]. This figure illustrates in particular the particular assembly of the metal plates 71 with connecting metal plates 71A. In addition, on this crown portion 75, one of the first partial undulations 722 crosses one of the connecting metal plates 71A and thus has a wave interruption 723.

[0083] With reference to [Fig. 8], a cutaway view of an LNG carrier ship 100 shows a sealed and thermally insulating tank 112 of generally prismatic shape mounted in the double hull 102 of the ship 100. The wall of the tank 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 102 of the ship 100, 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 102.

[0084] In a manner known per se, loading / unloading pipes 103 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 cargo of LNG from or to the tank 112.

[0085] [Fig.8] shows an example of a maritime terminal comprising a loading and unloading station 105, an underwater pipeline 106 and a land storage facility 1. The loading and unloading station 105 is an ins Fixed offshore installation comprising a mobile arm 104 and a tower 108 which supports the mobile arm 104. The mobile arm 104 carries a bundle of insulated flexible pipes 109 which can be connected to the loading / unloading pipes 103. The orientable mobile arm 104 adapts to all sizes of LNG carriers. A connecting pipe, not shown, extends inside the tower 108. The loading and unloading station 105 allows the loading and unloading of the LNG carrier 100 from or to the land-based storage facility 1. The latter comprises liquefied gas storage tanks 20 and connecting pipes 111 connected by the underwater pipe 106 to the loading or unloading station 105.The subsea pipeline 106 allows the transfer of liquefied gas between the loading or unloading station 105 and the land-based storage facility 1 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.

[0086] To generate the pressure necessary for the transfer of the liquefied gas, pumps on board the ship 100 and / or pumps equipping the land-based storage facility 1 and / or pumps equipping the loading and unloading station 105 are used.

[0087] 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.

[0088] 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 set out in a claim.

[0089] In the claims, any reference sign in parentheses cannot be interpreted as a limitation of the claim.

Claims

Claims

1. Storage installation (1) for liquefied gas comprising: a supporting structure (10) having an internal space delimited by a bottom supporting wall (11) and a vertical supporting wall (12), an outline of said bottom supporting wall (11) having the shape of a regular polygon with N sides, N being an integer greater than or equal to 4, said vertical load-bearing wall (12) being composed of N vertical load-bearing sections (14) and forming a polygonal cylindrical surface having said regular polygon as a directrix, where each of the N sides of the polygon corresponds to an intersection of the bottom load-bearing wall (11) with one of said vertical load-bearing sections (14); and a sealed tank (20) installed in the internal space of the supporting structure (10), the sealed tank (20) comprising a bottom wall (21) arranged on the bottom supporting wall (11) and a vertical wall (22) arranged on the vertical supporting wall (12), said vertical wall (22) being composed of N vertical sections (24), each vertical section of the vertical wall (22) being fixed to one of the N vertical supporting sections (14), said bottom wall (21) comprising N / 2 angular sectors (25) images of each other by a rotation of a predetermined angle around a vertical axis (Z), the predetermined angle being equal to 4xl80° / N, each angular sector (25) of the bottom wall (21) being connected on the one hand to a complete vertical section (241) among the N vertical sections (24) of the vertical wall (22), and connected on the other hand to two vertical half-sections (242) each corresponding to half of a vertical section among the N vertical sections (24) of the vertical wall (22), said complete vertical section (241) being centered on the angular sector (25) and the vertical half-sections (242) being located on either side of the complete vertical section (241), the sealed tank (20) comprising a corrugated sealed membrane (70, 170) intended to be in contact with a gas liquefied,the waterproof membrane of each angular sector (25) of the bottom wall (21) comprising first undulations (72) oriented perpendicular to the complete vertical section (241), the first undulations (72) being spaced two by two with a regular wave pitch (26), in which the waterproof membrane of said complete vertical section (241) comprises vertical undulations (172) extending parallel to, the vertical axis (Z) and spaced two by two from said regular wave pitch (26), each vertical undulation of the waterproof membrane of said complete vertical section (241) being continuously connected to one of the first undulations (72) of the waterproof membrane of the angular sector (25) of the bottom wall (21), in which the waterproof membrane of each vertical half-section (242) comprises vertical undulations (172) extending parallel to the vertical axis (Z), for each angular sector (25), two of said vertical undulations (172) of the waterproof membrane are spaced from each other by a singular wave pitch (27) different from said regular wave pitch (26), said singular wave pitch extending at least in part over a vertical half-section (242).

2. Storage installation (1) according to claim 1, in which at least one of the two said vertical undulations (172) delimiting the singular wave pitch (27) comprises a singular undulation (174) located on the vertical half-panel (242) on which the singular wave pitch (27) extends, the singular undulation (174) being discontinuous with the first undulations (72) of the bottom wall (21).

3. Storage installation (1) according to claim 2, in which each vertical half-panel (242) has an outer edge opposite the complete vertical pane (241) and an inner edge conjoined with the complete vertical pane (241); and the vertical corrugation(s) (172) located between the singular corrugation (174) and the outer edge of the vertical half-panel (242) on which the singular corrugation pitch (27) extends are discontinuous with the first corrugations (72) of the bottom wall (21).

4. Storage installation (1) according to one of claims 1 to 3, in which for each angular sector (25), the waterproof membrane of the vertical wall (22) comprises at least one singular wave pitch (27), preferably only one, extending over each vertical half-panel (242) on either side of the complete vertical pane (241).

5. Storage installation (1) according to one of claims 1 to 4, in which the or each singular wave step (27) is made between a vertical undulation of the vertical half-pan and a vertical undulation of the complete vertical pan (241).

6. Storage installation (1) according to one of claims 1 to 5, in which the singular wave pitch (27) is less than the regular wave pitch (26).

7. Storage installation (1) according to one of claims 1 to 6, in which the regular wave pitch (26) is greater than or equal to 400 mm.

8. Storage installation (1) according to one of claims 1 to 7, in which the first corrugations (72) which intersect with one of the vertical half-faces (242) are interrupted at a junction (28) between the bottom wall (21) and the vertical wall (22), the vertical corrugations (172) of said vertical half-face (242) being extended on the bottom wall (21) by a vertical corrugation extension (175).

9. Storage installation (1) according to one of claims 1 to 7, in which the vertical undulations (172) of one of the vertical half-walls (242) are interrupted at a junction (28) between the bottom wall (21) and the vertical wall (22), the first undulations (72), which intersect with said vertical half-wall (242), being extended on the vertical wall (22) by an extension of the first undulation (76).

10. Storage installation (1) according to one of claims 1 to 7, in which the first corrugations (72) which intersect with one of the vertical half-faces (242) are extended on the vertical wall (22) by an extension of the first corrugation, the vertical corrugations (172) of said vertical half-face (242) also being extended on the bottom wall (21) by an extension of a vertical corrugation.

11. Storage installation (1) according to claim 8 or claim 10, in which the waterproof membrane of an angular sector (25) of the bottom wall (21) comprises second corrugations (73) spaced from each other and extending perpendicular to the first corrugations (72), the vertical corrugation extensions being interrupted on the bottom wall (21) between a junction (28) between the bottom wall (21) and the vertical wall (22) and a said second corrugation located near the junction (28) between the bottom wall (21) and the vertical wall (22).

12. Storage facility (1) according to claim 9 or claim 10, wherein the membrane of the vertical wall (22) comprises horizontal corrugations (173) spaced from each other and extending perpendicular to the vertical corrugations (172), the extensions of the first corrugation being interrupted on the vertical wall (22) between a junction (28) between the bottom wall (21) and the vertical wall (22) and a said horizontal corrugation located near the junction (28) between the bottom wall (21) and the vertical wall (22).

13. Storage installation (1) according to one of claims 1 to 12, in which the storage facility (1) is a land-based storage facility.

14. A transfer system for a cold liquid product, the system comprising a land-based storage facility (1) according to claim 13, a vessel (100) comprising a double hull (10), insulated pipes (103, 109, 106, 111) arranged to connect a tank (112) installed in the double hull of the vessel to the land-based storage structure (1) and a pump for driving a flow of cold liquid product through the insulated pipes from or to the land-based storage structure (1) to or from the vessel tank (100).

15. A method of loading or unloading a ship (100), in which a cold liquid product is conveyed through insulated pipes (103, 109, 106, 111) from or to the land-based storage structure (1) according to claim 13 to or from a tank (112) of the ship (100).

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