Watertight and thermally insulated tank with an angled structure

Abstract

The invention relates to a sealed and thermally insulating tank (1), the sealed and thermally insulating tank (1) comprising a first corner structure (11) and a second corner structure (11) spaced from the first corner structure (11) so as to delimit a mounting chimney (28), in which each of the first and second corner structures (11) comprises: - a first insulating panel (13) and a second insulating panel (14); - a flexible waterproof sheet (7) arranged straddling the first insulating panel (13) and the second insulating panel (14), the flexible waterproof sheet (7) having a curved inner face (23);in which the tank includes an insulating seal (29) disposed in the mounting chimney (28), the insulating seal (29) having a first sealing piece (31), a second sealing piece (32), and a third sealing piece (33), the third sealing piece (33) being located at the edge of the corner structure (110), the third sealing piece (33) having an internal sealing face (34) which is flush with the curved internal face (23) of the corner structures (11). Figure for the abstract: 6;

Description

Title of the invention: Watertight and thermally insulating tank comprising an angle structure 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] It is known in particular from document WO2020084247 of sealed and thermally insulated tanks for the storage of liquefied gas and intended to be integrated into a load-bearing structure.

[0003] These tanks have corner structures spaced apart at the tank corners to define a mounting channel between them. To ensure continuous thermal insulation of the tank wall, an insulating gasket is placed within this mounting channel. A secondary waterproof membrane is fabricated on these corner structures by bonding waterproof composite sheets to one another, for example as described in FR2822815.

[0004] In the prior art, during the bonding of the waterproof composite sheets, glue can seep into the mounting channels, thus locally creating excess thicknesses of glue under the secondary waterproof membrane.

[0005] Excess glue thickness in this area can cause tearing of the secondary waterproof membrane. Summary of the invention

[0006] One idea underlying the invention is to improve the design of the tank in the corner areas in order to limit the risks of tearing of the secondary sealing membrane.

[0007] According to one embodiment, the invention provides a sealed and thermally insulated tank for the storage of liquefied gas and intended to be integrated into a load-bearing structure, the sealed and thermally insulated tank comprising a plurality of walls of tanks connected to each other so as to form an internal storage space, the sealed and thermally insulated tank comprising a first corner structure and a second corner structure intended to be installed along a load-bearing structure edge, the second corner structure being spaced from the first corner structure in a longitudinal direction parallel to said load-bearing structure edge so as to delimit a mounting chimney between the first and second corner structures, in which each of the first and second corner structures comprises: - a first insulating panel and a second insulating panel, each having a flat internal surface intended to be turned towards the inside of the sealed and thermally insulating tank; the flat internal surface of the first insulating panel being inclined relative to the flat internal surface of the second insulating panel at an angle corresponding to an angle between two adjacent tank walls, the flat internal surface of the first insulating panel and the flat internal surface of the second insulating panel forming a dihedral having an angle structure edge which extends along the longitudinal direction of the angle structure; - a flexible waterproof sheet placed across the flat internal surface of the first insulating panel and the flat internal surface of the second insulating panel, the flexible waterproof sheet having an internal face curved at said angle; in which the flat internal surface of the first insulating panel has a first bonding zone and the flat internal surface of the second insulating panel has a second bonding zone, the first bonding zone and the second bonding zone being at a distance from said corner structure edge, the first bonding zone being provided with an adhesion means fixing the flexible waterproof sheet in a watertight manner to the flat internal surface of the first insulating panel, and the second bonding zone being provided with an adhesion means fixing the flexible waterproof sheet in a watertight manner to the flat internal surface of the second insulating panel, the flat internal surface of the first insulating panel having a first free zone located between the first bonding zone and said corner structure edge and the flat internal surface of the second insulating panel having a second free zone located between the second bonding zone and said corner structure edge,the first free zone and the second free zone being devoid of any means of adhesion, in which the tank includes an insulating seal disposed in the mounting chimney, the insulating seal comprising a first sealing piece located between the first insulating panel of the first corner structure and the first insulating panel of the second corner structure, a second sealing piece located between the second insulating panel of the first corner structure and the second insulating panel of the second corner structure, and a third sealing piece located between the first piece of joint and the second joint piece, the third joint piece being located at the edge of the corner structure, the third joint piece having an inner joint face intended to be turned towards the interior of the sealed and thermally insulating tank, the inner joint face forming the extension of the curved inner face of the first corner structure with the curved inner face of the second corner structure so that the inner joint face is flush with the curved inner face of the first corner structure and the curved inner face of the second corner structure.

[0008] Thanks to these characteristics, the various joint pieces of the insulating joint make it possible to adapt as closely as possible to the shape of the corner structures and thus, in particular, to be flush with the inner face of the flexible sealing sheet at the edge of the corner structure.This raised edge prevents thin adhesive from seeping through the mounting channel under the flexible waterproofing membrane in areas lacking a means of adhesion. These areas allow the membrane to expand and contract with temperature variations. Applying too much adhesive in these areas would create an excess and prevent the membrane from deforming, potentially damaging it. The three-part construction of the insulating joint and its specific shape thus create a retention barrier, preventing the adhesive from seeping through at the corner structural edge.

[0009] In the prior art, and in particular WO2020084247, the shape of the insulating joint does not allow the flexible waterproof sheet to be flush, particularly at the corner structure edge where the internal surface of the flexible waterproof sheet is curved.

[0010] The insulating joint of the invention thus performs a dual function, namely the continuity of thermal insulation between the first corner structure and the second corner structure, and an anti-creep barrier of glue in the mounting chimney and at the level of the edge of the corner structure.

[0011] According to embodiments, such a tank may include one or more of the following characteristics.

[0012] According to one embodiment, the inner face of the joint has a first flat part, a second flat part and a third curved junction part connecting the first flat part to the second flat part.

[0013] According to one embodiment, the first flat part is parallel to the flat internal surface of the first insulating panel of the first corner structure and parallel to the flat internal surface of the first insulating panel of the second corner structure, and the second flat part is parallel to the flat internal surface of the second insulating panel of the first corner structure and parallel to the flat internal surface of the second insulating panel of the second corner structure.

[0014] Thus, the inner face of the seal conforms to the shape of the curved inner face of the flexible sealing sheet in order to avoid any glue smearing in this area.

[0015] According to one embodiment, the first gasket piece and the second gasket piece each comprise an insulating core covered by a sheath, the insulating core being made of a compressible insulating material.

[0016] According to one embodiment, the third sealing piece comprises an insulating core covered by a sheath, the insulating core being made of a compressible insulating material.

[0017] Compressible insulating material includes, for example, glass wool, rock wool, perlite or polyurethane foam.

[0018] According to one embodiment, the third sealing piece is made by a block of insulating foam, for example polyurethane foam.

[0019] According to one embodiment, the first gasket piece has a first cutout and the second gasket piece has a second cutout, the first and second cutouts together forming a recess, the third gasket piece being positioned in the recess

[0020] According to one embodiment, the sealed and thermally insulating tank comprises a sealed joining sheet glued over the flexible sealed sheet of the first corner structure and over the flexible sealed sheet of the second corner structure so as to cover the mounting chimney.

[0021] According to one embodiment, the means of adhesion of the first bonding zone and / or the second bonding zone is in the form of a strip of glue.

[0022] According to one embodiment, the first joint piece and the second joint piece each have a polyhedral shape with an inclined face at the level of the edge of the supporting structure such that the inclined face of the first joint piece cooperates with the inclined face of the second joint piece.

[0023] According to one embodiment, the third sealing piece has a plurality of faces, one of which is the internal face of the seal, several faces of the plurality of faces of the third sealing piece being complementary in shape with the housing.

[0024] 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 remote storage unit (FPSO), and others. Such a tank can also serve as a fuel tank in any type of ship.

[0025] According to one embodiment, the invention also provides a storage installation comprising the sealed and thermally insulated tank and the supporting structure.

[0026] According to one embodiment, a ship for the transport of a cold liquid product comprises a double hull and the aforementioned tank disposed in the double hull.

[0027] According to one embodiment, the load-bearing structure is a portion of the double shell.

[0028] According to one embodiment, the invention also provides a transfer system for a cold liquid product, the system comprising the aforementioned vessel, insulated pipes arranged to connect the tank installed in the double hull of the vessel to a floating or land-based storage facility and a pump to drive a flow of cold liquid product through the insulated pipes from or to the floating or land-based storage facility to or from the vessel tank.

[0029] 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 a floating or land-based storage facility to or from the tank of the aforementioned ship. Brief description of the figures

[0030] 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.

[0031] Fig. 1 represents a partial perspective view of a sealed and thermally insulating tank showing a corner area of ​​the tank.

[0032] Fig. 2 represents a perspective view of an angle structure before the bonding of the flexible waterproof sheet.

[0033] Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the corner area of ​​the sealed and thermally insulating tank of Fig. 1 showing a mounting chimney between two adjacent corner structures on which a flexible sealing joint sheet is arranged straddling the two adjacent corner structures, and covers the mounting chimney.

[0034] Fig. 4 represents an exploded view of an insulating joint according to a first embodiment which is suitable for being placed in the mounting chimney.

[0035] Fig. 5 represents an exploded view of an insulating joint according to a second embodiment which is suitable for being disposed in the mounting chimney.

[0036] Fig. 6 is a partial cross-sectional view of the corner area of ​​the tank along the bisecting plane BB of Fig. 2, with an insulating joint according to the first embodiment.

[0037] Fig. 7 is a view of detail VII of Fig. 6 showing specifically the flush between the insulating joint and the flexible sealing sheet as well as the free area under the flexible sealing sheet.

[0038] Fig. 8 is a partial cross-sectional view of the corner area of ​​the tank along the bisecting plane BB of Fig. 2, with an insulating joint according to the second embodiment.

[0039] Figure 9 shows a front view of an insulating joint according to a third mode of a product that is suitable for placement in the mounting chimney.

[0040] Fig. 10 represents a front view of an insulating joint according to a fourth embodiment which is suitable for being arranged in the mounting chimney.

[0041] The [Fig. 11] is a schematic cutaway representation of a methane tanker comprising a ship tank and a loading / unloading terminal for this ship. Description of the implementation methods

[0042] Figure 1 illustrates a portion of a sealed and thermally insulated tank 1 in a corner area near a structural edge 300 between two flat walls of the structural support 3. This tank 1 is a membrane tank for storing liquefied gas. The tank 1 has a plurality of tank walls 2 resting against a polyhedral structural support 3. More precisely, the tank 1 is integrated into the structural support 3.

[0043] In the present description, the terms "interior" and "exterior" are to be understood as describing a relative position with respect to an interior, respectively an exterior of the tank 1.

[0044] The tank wall 2 has a multilayer structure which includes a secondary thermally insulating barrier 4 comprising modular insulating elements, and a secondary waterproof membrane 5, which includes various elements assembled by bonding, in particular here composite waterproof sheets 6 and flexible waterproof sheets 7 and sealing joint sheets 8. The secondary waterproof membrane 5 is disposed against the secondary thermally insulating barrier 4 and is waterproof to liquids and gases.

[0045] The multilayer structure also includes a primary thermally insulating barrier 9 comprising insulating modular elements, and a primary sealing membrane 10, see [Fig.1] and 5. The primary sealing membrane 10 is intended to be in contact with the liquefied gas contained in the tank 1.

[0046] The primary thermally insulating barrier 9 is here arranged against the secondary waterproof membrane 5.

[0047] In practice, the secondary thermally insulating barrier 4, the secondary waterproof membrane 5, and the primary thermally insulating barrier 9 can be made in the form of a plurality of prefabricated flat structures 100, which are juxtaposed on the load-bearing walls and a plurality of corner structures 11, prefabricated elements are placed side-by-side along the edges. The general geometry of these prefabricated structures is described, for example, in publication FR-A-2691520.

[0048] The primary airtight membrane 10 covers the primary thermally insulating barrier 9 and defines an internal space for receiving the liquefied gas. For example, it may be a corrugated stainless steel metal membrane, notably described in publications WO-A-2010040922 or FR-A-2861060.

[0049] The liquefied gas intended for storage in tank 1 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.

[0050] With reference to figures 1 to 3, we will now describe more precisely angle structures 11 according to an embodiment, prefabricated, which can be used along the edge of the load-bearing structure 300.

[0051] Fig. 2 partially illustrates the elements of such an angle structure 11 during its manufacture, before the installation of a flexible waterproof sheet 7 and a primary angle arrangement 12.

[0052] The corner structure 11 comprises a first insulating panel 13 and a second insulating panel 14. Each insulating panel 13 and 14 comprises, stacked from the outside in: a rigid base plate 15, a polymer foam block 16, a rigid cover plate 17 and the composite waterproofing membrane 6.

[0053] The composite waterproof sheet 6 of each of the insulating panels 13 and 14 forms a flat internal surface 18, intended to be turned towards the interior of the tank 1, and the rigid bottom plate 15 forms an external surface 19, intended to be turned towards the supporting structure 3.

[0054] The flat internal surface 18 of the first insulating panel 13 is inclined relative to the flat internal surface 18 of the second insulating panel 14 at an angle A, here equal to 90°, corresponding to a corner area of ​​the sealed and thermally insulated tank 1 to be manufactured. The flat internal surface 18 of the first insulating panel 13 and the flat internal surface 18 of the second insulating panel 14 thus form a dihedral angle. The dihedral angle has a structural edge of angle 110 at the intersection of the planes of the flat internal surfaces 18 of the insulating panels 13 and 14. The structural edge of angle 110 then extends along a longitudinal direction X of the corner structure 11.

[0055] The corner structure 11 includes glass wool padding 20 and an optional wooden wedge. The corner structure 11 also includes the flexible waterproof sheet 7, which is not shown in [Fig.2] because it is prior to the bonding step, but which is shown in [Fig.3].

[0056] For each insulating panel 13 and 14, the rigid base plate 15, the polymer foam block 16, and the rigid cover plate 17 of the secondary thermally insulating barrier 4 are stacked in that order from the outside in. The rigid plates 15 and 17 are preferably plywood plates. These provide a certain rigidity, and therefore good mechanical strength, to the thermally insulating barrier 5.

[0057] The composite waterproofing membrane 6 forms part of the secondary waterproofing membrane 5 and constitutes the flat inner surface 18 of each of the first and second panels 13 and 14, respectively, as shown in [Fig. 3]. Each composite waterproofing membrane 6 is positioned on the rigid cover plate 17 of the corresponding insulating panel 13 or 14. The composite waterproofing membrane 6 may be made of a laminated composite material comprising an aluminum layer between two layers of glass fibers and resin.

[0058] The glass wool packing 20, visible in [Fig.2], fills a mounting gap 22 between the insulating panels 13 and 14 of the corner structure 11. It will be understood that the glass wool packing 20 is made of fibrous material and that its shape depends on the elements surrounding it.

[0059] As shown in [Fig. 3], the flexible sealing sheet 7 is positioned across the flat inner surface 18 of the first insulating panel 13 and the flat inner surface 18 of the second insulating panel 14. The flexible sealing sheet 7 may be made of a laminated composite material comprising an aluminum layer between two layers of glass fibers. The flexible sealing sheet 7 provides continuity with the secondary sealing membrane 5 at the angled structural edge 110 and has a curved inner face 23 along said angle A corresponding to the corner area of ​​the tank.

[0060] In order to fix the flexible waterproof sheet 7 to the first insulating panel 13, the flat internal surface 18 of the first insulating panel 13 has a first bonding zone 24. The first bonding zone 24 is provided with an adhesion means 25, for example glue, fixing the flexible waterproof sheet 7 to the flat internal surface 18 of the first insulating panel 13.

[0061] Similarly, the flat internal surface 18 of the second insulating panel 14 has a second bonding zone 26. The second bonding zone 26 is provided with an adhesion means 25 fixing the flexible waterproof sheet 7 to the flat internal surface 18 of the second insulating panel 14.

[0062] The first connection zone 24 and the second connection zone 26 are each located at a distance from the corner structure edge 110 and the edges of the insulating panels 13 and 14 opposite each other.

[0063] Two free zones 27, visible in [Fig. 2], extend between the angle structure edge 110 and the connection zones 24 and 26 respectively. The free zones 27 of the sheets The composite waterproofing membranes 6 lack any means of adhesion. Thus, the flexible waterproofing sheet 7 has an unbonded portion, at the level of the free zones 27, which is free to contract under the effect of temperature variation.

[0064] Furthermore, as can be seen in [Fig. 3], the corner structure 11 comprises primary corner arrangements 12 mounted above the flexible sealing sheet 7 to form elements of the primary thermally insulating barrier 9 and the primary sealing membrane 10 in the corner area of ​​the tank. Further details on the primary corner arrangements 12 can be found, for example, in publications WO-A-2020260440 and WO-A-2021058826.

[0065] Fig. 3 represents the corner area of ​​the sealed and thermally insulating tank showing a mounting chimney 28 between two adjacent corner structures 11 on which the sealing junction sheet 8 is arranged straddling the two adjacent corner structures 11, and covers the mounting chimney 28.

[0066] The mounting chimney 28 is an interval provided to offer a mounting tolerance between the two corner structures 11, for example with a width of 30mm.

[0067] To ensure the continuity of the secondary insulation barrier 5, an insulating seal 29 is provided in the mounting shaft 28. The insulating seal 29 has been omitted in [Fig. 3] for clarity but is visible in particular in Figures 4 to 8. The insulating seal 29 completes the secondary thermal insulation barrier 4 at the mounting shaft 28, while allowing a degree of freedom in contraction and expansion of the adjacent corner structures 11. The insulating seal 29 is preferably made of a compressible material so that it can completely fill the mounting shaft 28.

[0068] As shown in [Fig. 3], the sealing joint sheet 8 is bonded across the two adjacent corner structures 11 to complete the secondary sealing membrane 5. More specifically, the inner surface of the panels 13 and 14 of the two corner structures 11 is coated with a layer of adhesive 30, visible in Figures 6 to 8, over the entire end portion of the two corner structures 11, namely at one longitudinal end of the first corner structure 11 and at one longitudinal end of the second corner structure 11 between the primary corner arrangements 12, to receive the sealing joint sheet 8. The sealing joint sheet 8 is thus bonded to the composite sealing sheets 6 and to the flexible sealing sheet 7 of each of the two corner structures 11 so as to cover the mounting chimney 28 and the insulating joint 29.

[0069] Figures 4, 5, 9 and 10 illustrate four embodiments of the insulating joint 29.

[0070] In each of these embodiments, the insulating joint 29 comprises: - a first joint piece 31 located between the first insulating panel 13 of the first corner structure 11 and the first insulating panel 13 of the second corner structure 11, - a second sealing piece 32 located between the second insulating panel 14 of the first corner structure 11 and the second insulating panel 14 of the second corner structure 11, and - a third gasket 33 located between the first gasket 31 and the second gasket 32.

[0071] The first gasket 31, the second gasket 32, and the third gasket 33 are made of separate pieces and positioned side by side in the mounting channel 28. Their shapes are designed to be complementary so that by positioning the three gaskets 31, 32, and 33 side by side, the mounting channel is completely filled. The third gasket 33 is located at the corner structural edge 110 and has an internal gasket face 34 intended to face the interior of the sealed and thermally insulating tank 1.

[0072] The inner face of the joint 34 makes the extension of the curved inner face 23 of the first angle structure 11 with the curved inner face 23 of the second angle structure 11 so that the inner face of the joint 34 is flush with the curved inner face 23 of the neighboring angle structures 11 as shown in figures 6 to 8.

[0073] For this purpose, the inner face of the joint 34 of the third joint piece 33 has a first flat part 35, a second flat part 36 and a third curved junction part 37 connecting the first flat part 35 to the second flat part 36.

[0074] When positioned in the mounting chimney 28, the first flat portion 35 is thus parallel to the flat internal surface 18 of the first insulating panel 13 of the adjacent corner structures 11. The second flat portion 36 is thus parallel to the flat internal surface 18 of the second insulating panel 14 of the adjacent corner structures 11. And the third curved joining portion 37 follows the curvature of the curved internal face 23.

[0075] The first and second sealing pieces 31 and 32 are for example each made using an insulating core covered by a sheath, the insulating core being made of a compressible insulating material such as glass wool, rock wool or perlite.

[0076] In the first embodiment illustrated in Figures 4, 6 and 7, the third gasket piece is also made using an insulating core covered by a sheath, the insulating core being made of a compressible insulating material such as glass wool, rock wool or perlite. The first gasket piece 31 and the second gasket piece 32 are rectangular parallelepiped in shape, while the third gasket piece joint 33 has an overall polyhedral shape with a curved face, namely the internal face of joint 34.

[0077] In the second embodiment illustrated in Figures 5 and 8, the third sealing piece 33 is made of a block of insulating foam. The first sealing piece 31 and the second sealing piece 32 are polyhedral in shape with a face inclined at 45° (for a tank angle of 90°) cooperating at the level of the supporting structure edge 300. The inclined face may have other inclinations depending on the value of the tank angle, such as, for example, an inclination of 67.5° for an angle of 135°.

[0078] In this second embodiment, the first gasket piece 31 and the second gasket piece 32 respectively have a first cutout 38 and a second cutout 39. The first cutout 38 and the second cutout 39 together form a housing in which the third gasket piece 33 is positioned. The third gasket piece 33 has a generally polyhedral shape with a curved face, namely the internal gasket face 34, and the other faces having complementary shapes with the housing.

[0079] In the third embodiment illustrated in [Fig. 9], the first joint piece 31 is rectangular parallelepiped in shape and the second joint piece 32 is polyhedral in shape. The junction between the first joint piece 31 and the second joint piece 32 is made at the angle structural edge 110 parallel to the flat internal surface 18 of the second insulating panel 14. As in the second embodiment, the third joint piece 33 is formed by a block of insulating foam. However, in this embodiment, the third joint piece is located on an internal face of the first and second joint pieces 31, 32, and not in a recess as in the second embodiment. The third joint piece 33 has an overall polyhedral shape with a curved face, namely the internal joint face 34.

[0080] In the fourth embodiment illustrated in [Fig. 10], the first gasket 31 is rectangular in shape and the second gasket 32 ​​is polyhedral in shape. One end face of the second gasket 32 ​​is formed at the angle structural edge 110 parallel to the flat internal surface 18 of the second insulating panel 14. One end face of the first gasket 31 is formed parallel to the flat internal surface 18 of the second insulating panel 14 and at a distance from the end face of the second gasket 32. As in the first embodiment, the third gasket 33 is made using an insulating core covered by a sheath, the insulating core being made of a compressible insulating material such as glass wool, rock wool, or perlite.The third gasket 33 is interposed between the end face of the first gasket 31 and the end face of the second gasket 32. The third. The gasket piece 33 has an overall polyhedral shape with a curved face, namely the internal face of gasket 34.

[0081] Figures 6 to 8 illustrate in cross-section of the corner area of ​​the tank along the bisecting plane BB in order to distinguish the relative positioning of the insulating joint 29 with respect to the neighboring corner structures 11 in the thickness of the mounting chimney 28.

[0082] As can be seen in Figures 6 to 8, and more particularly in [Fig. 7], the flushness of the insulating joint 29 with the flexible sealing sheet 7 and the shape of the insulating joint 29 make it possible to create a retention barrier preventing the layer of adhesive 30 used to fix the sealing joint sheet 8 from thinning. The positioning and shape of the insulating joint 29 thus prevent this adhesive from flowing into the mounting channel 28. The contraction and expansion capacity of the components of the tank 1 at the level of the corner structural edge 110, in particular of the flexible sealing sheet 7 and the insulating joint 29, is therefore not hindered by the presence of adhesive.

[0083] Conversely, if the insulating joint 29 is not flush, the adhesive 30 could flow into the free zone 27 between the composite waterproofing membrane 6 and the flexible waterproofing sheet 7 and harden there. Such an entry of adhesive behind the flexible waterproofing sheet 7 would locally impede, or even eliminate, the ability of the flexible waterproofing sheet 7 to deform by contraction and expansion in the unbonded portion, thereby increasing its fatigue and risk of tearing. This risk of adhesive thinning is particularly high in the vicinity of the corner structures 11 used to form the angle between the vertical or inclined walls and the bottom wall of the tank, since gravity there promotes the flow of the adhesive 30 into the mounting channel 28.

[0084] Such a finishing of the glue 30 would generate excess thicknesses of glue and could also join together rigidly and irreversibly, after hardening, other components of the tank wall, such as the insulating seal 29 with the ends of the rigid cover plates 27 or the two corner structures 11 together.

[0085] It is understood that the shape and protrusion of the insulating joint 29 make it possible to guarantee the contraction and expansion capacities of the components of the tank, in particular the flexible sealing sheet 7, at the level of the junction area between neighboring corner structures 11.

[0086] With reference to [Fig. 11], a cutaway view of an LNG carrier 70 shows a sealed and thermally insulating tank 1 of generally prismatic shape mounted in the double hull 72 of the vessel 70. The wall of the tank 1 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 vessel 70, and two thermally insulating barriers arranged respectively between the primary waterproof membrane and the secondary waterproof membrane and between the secondary waterproof 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 1.

[0088] Figure 11 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 which supports the movable arm 74. The movable arm 74 carries a bundle of insulated flexible pipes 79 which can be connected to the loading / unloading pipelines 73. The steerable movable arm 74 is adaptable 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 A sealed and thermally insulated tank (1) for the storage of liquefied gas and intended to be integrated into a load-bearing structure (3), the sealed and thermally insulated tank (1) comprising a plurality of tank walls (2) connected to each other so as to form an internal storage space, the sealed and thermally insulated tank (1) comprising a first corner structure (11) and a second corner structure (11) intended to be installed along an edge of the load-bearing structure (300), the second corner structure (11) being spaced from the first corner structure (11) in a longitudinal direction (X) parallel to said edge of the load-bearing structure (300) so as to delimit a mounting chimney (28) between the first and second corner structures (11), in which each of the first and second corner structures (11) comprises: - a first insulating panel (13) and a second insulating panel (14) each having a flat internal surface (18) intended to be turned towards the inside of the sealed and thermally insulating tank (1); the flat internal surface (18) of the first insulating panel (13) being inclined relative to the flat internal surface (18) of the second insulating panel (14) at an angle (A) corresponding to an angle between two adjacent tank walls, the flat internal surface (18) of the first insulating panel (13) and the flat internal surface (18) of the second insulating panel (14) forming a dihedral having an angle structure edge (110) which extends along the longitudinal direction (X) of the angle structure (11); - a flexible waterproof sheet (7) arranged straddling the flat internal surface (18) of the first insulating panel (13) and the flat internal surface (18) of the second insulating panel (14), the flexible waterproof sheet (7) having a curved internal face (23) along said angle (A); in which the flat internal surface (18) of the first insulating panel (13) has a first bonding zone (24) and the flat internal surface (18) of the second insulating panel (14) has a second bonding zone (26), the first bonding zone (24) and the second bonding zone (26) being at a distance from said corner structure edge (110), the first bonding zone (24) being

2. provided with an adhesion means (25) fixing the flexible waterproof sheet (7) in a watertight manner to the flat internal surface (18) of the first insulating panel (13), and the second bonding zone (26) being provided with an adhesion means (25) fixing the flexible waterproof sheet (7) in a watertight manner to the flat internal surface (18) of the second insulating panel (14), the flat internal surface (18) of the first insulating panel (13) having a first free zone (27) located between the first bonding zone (24) and said corner structure edge (110) and the flat internal surface (18) of the second insulating panel (14) having a second free zone (27) located between the second bonding zone (26) and said corner structure edge (110), the first free zone (27) and the second free zone (27) being without an adhesion means, in which the tank includes an insulating seal (29) disposed in the mounting chimney (28), the insulating seal (29) having a first sealing piece (31) located between the first insulating panel (13) of the first corner structure (11) and the first insulating panel (13) of the second corner structure (11), a second sealing piece (32) located between the second insulating panel (14) of the first corner structure (11) and the second insulating panel (14) of the second corner structure (11), and a third sealing piece (33) located between the first sealing piece (31) and the second sealing piece (32), the third sealing piece (33) being located at the edge of the corner structure (110), the third sealing piece (33) having an internal sealing face (34) intended to be turned towards the interior of the sealed and thermally insulating tank (1),the inner face of the joint (34) extending the curved inner face (23) of the first angle structure (11) with the curved inner face (23) of the second angle structure (11) such that the inner face of the joint (34) is flush with the curved inner face (23) of the first angle structure (11) and the curved inner face (23) of the second angle structure (11). A sealed and thermally insulating tank (1) according to claim 1, in which the first sealing piece (31) and the second sealing piece (32) each comprise an insulating core covered by a jacket, the insulating core being made of a compressible insulating material.

3. A sealed and thermally insulating tank (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein the third sealing piece (33) comprises an insulating core covered by a sheath, the insulating core being made of a compressible insulating material.

4. Watertight and thermally insulating tank (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the third sealing piece (33) is made by an insulating foam block.

5. A sealed and thermally insulating tank (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the first sealing piece (31) has a first cutout (38) and the second sealing piece (32) has a second cutout (39), the first cutout (38) and the second cutout (39) together forming a housing, the third sealing piece (33) being positioned in the housing.

6. A sealed and thermally insulating tank (1) according to claim 5, wherein the third sealing piece (33) has a plurality of faces, one of the faces of which is the internal sealing face (34), several faces of the plurality of faces of the third sealing piece (33) being complementary in shape with the housing.

7. Watertight and thermally insulating tank (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the first sealing piece (31) and the second sealing piece (32) each have a polyhedral shape with a face inclined at the level of the load-bearing structure edge (300) such that the inclined face of the first sealing piece (31) cooperates with the inclined face of the second sealing piece (32).

8. A sealed and thermally insulating tank (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the sealed and thermally insulating tank (1) comprises a sealing junction sheet (8) bonded across the flexible sealing sheet (7) of the first corner structure (11) and the flexible sealing sheet (7) of the second corner structure (11) so as to cover the mounting chimney (28).

9. Vessel (70) for the transport of a cold liquid product, the vessel comprising a double hull (72) and a tank (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8 disposed in the double hull.

10. Transfer system for a cold liquid product, the system comprising a vessel (70) according to claim 9, insulated pipes (73, 79, 76, 81) arranged to connect the tank (1) installed in the double hull of the ship to a floating or land-based storage facility (77) and a pump to drive a flow of cold liquid product through insulated pipes from or to the floating or land-based storage facility to or from the ship's tank.

11. A method of loading or unloading a ship (70), wherein a cold liquid product 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 (1) of the ship (70) according to claim 9.

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