Liquefied gas storage facility comprising tank and dome structure

Abstract

To provide a sealed heat insulation tank having a dome structure which is protected from movement of a liquefied gas in a tank, and provide a sealed heat insulation tank including the dome structure having a structure which can be manufactured easily.SOLUTION: A liquefied gas storage facility includes: a support structure; a sealed heat insulation tank disposed in the support structure; and a dome structure (19) passing through an opening (18) formed at a ceiling wall (11) and an upper support wall (3) of the tank. The dome structure includes a barrel (22) which extends in a thickness direction and is fixed to the upper support wall and welded to a sealing film (17) of the ceiling wall in a sealed state. The barrel includes: a lower end (33) oriented to an internal space of the tank; and a closing plate (25) which is disposed facing a lower end of the barrel so as to cover the lower end. The storage facility includes at least one pipe (20, 21, 31) which is intended to transport a liquefied gas and penetrates through a hole (27, 28, 29) formed at the dome structure and the closing plate.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of liquefied gas storage installations comprising sealed insulated tanks for the storage and / or transportation of liquefied gases, such as tanks for the transportation of liquefied petroleum gas (also known as LPG) at temperatures between -50°C and 0°C, or tanks for the transportation of liquefied natural gas (LNG) at approximately -162°C at atmospheric pressure.

[0002] These installations can be located on land or on floating structures, in which case the tanks of the installations may be for the transport of liquefied gas or for receiving liquefied gas that serves as fuel for the propulsion of the floating structure.

[0003] More specifically, the present invention relates to a liquefied gas storage facility that includes a dome structure that passes through an opening in the ceiling wall of a tank. [Background technology]

[0004] International Publication No. WO 2019215414 discloses a liquefied gas storage facility comprising a support structure formed by the double hull of a carrier ship and a sealed, insulated tank housed inside the support structure. The tank wall has a multi-layer structure including a secondary insulating barrier, a secondary sealing membrane, a primary insulating barrier, and a primary sealing membrane, which are arranged consecutively from the outside to the inside and are intended to come into contact with the liquefied gas stored in the tank. The upper wall of the tank includes an upwardly protruding rectangular parallelepiped-shaped space known as a liquid dome near the rear wall of the support structure. The tank includes a loading tower that includes three hollow poles passing through the cover of the liquid dome and defines either a loading line for loading fluid into the tank or an emergency well and discharge line for lowering an emergency pump in the event of a failure of other discharge pumps. Such liquid domes are not entirely satisfactory. In particular, the inside of the liquid dome is susceptible to dynamic pressure due to "sloshing," i.e., the movement of cargo within the tank. Furthermore, thermal insulation is ensured by an insulating block fixed to the inside of the liquid dome, while sealing of the liquid dome is ensured by a sealing membrane fixed to the insulating barrier and hermetically connected to the primary sealing membrane on the upper wall of the tank. Therefore, the structure of such a liquid dome is relatively complicated to manufacture. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2019215414 Brochure Summary of the Invention

[0006] The idea forming the basis of the present invention is to propose a sealed, insulated tank comprising a dome structure that is protected against the movement of liquefied gas inside the tank.

[0007] Another idea forming the basis of the present invention is to propose a sealed, insulated tank with a dome structure that has a simple construction to manufacture.

[0008] According to one embodiment, the present invention provides a liquefied gas storage facility comprising a support structure and a sealed, insulated tank arranged in the support structure, the sealed, insulated tank having an interior space, the support structure comprising an upper support wall, the tank comprising a ceiling wall fixed to the upper support wall, the ceiling wall comprising, in a thickness direction from the outside to the inside of the tank, at least one insulating barrier and at least one sealing membrane supported by the insulating barrier and intended to be in contact with the liquefied gas contained in the tank, the storage facility comprising a dome structure passing through openings formed in the ceiling wall and the upper support wall, the dome structure comprising a barrel extending in the thickness direction, the barrel having a lower end directed towards the interior space of the tank and at least one closure plate arranged opposite to the lower end of the barrel to cover it, the closure plate comprising at least one hole, the storage facility comprising at least one pipe intended to transport the liquefied gas, the pipe passing through the dome structure and through the hole formed in the closure plate.

[0009] The closure plate therefore makes it possible to protect the dome structure from the movement of liquefied gas inside the tank.

[0010] According to other advantageous embodiments, such a sealed, insulated tank may have one or more of the following characteristics:

[0011] According to one embodiment, the barrel has a cylindrical shape with a circular cross section.

[0012] According to one embodiment, the barrel is fixed to the upper support wall.

[0013] According to one embodiment, the barrel is hermetically welded to a sealing membrane in the ceiling wall.

[0014] According to one embodiment, the dome structure includes a ceiling that is secured to the top end of the barrel, for example by welding.

[0015] According to one embodiment, the ceiling is dome-shaped, allowing the dome structure to withstand greater pressure within the tank.

[0016] According to one embodiment, the closure plate is fixed to the barrel and the pipe is mounted inside the hole so as to be translatable in the thickness direction, in other words the closure plate is not fixed to the pipe but to the barrel, which allows the pipe to move relative to the closure plate, especially when subjected to thermal contraction during cooling or loading of the tank.

[0017] According to one embodiment, the closure plate is fixed to the barrel by a plurality of fixing elements.

[0018] According to one embodiment, the fixing elements are gussets which are fixed on the one hand to the inner surface of the barrel and on the other hand to the upper surface of the closure plate.

[0019] According to one embodiment, the gusset is welded to the inner surface of the barrel and to the upper surface of the closure plate.

[0020] According to another embodiment, the closure plate is fixed to the pipe by means of at least two gussets.

[0021] According to one embodiment, each gusset comprises an edge welded to the pipe and an edge welded to the closure plate, for example to the top surface of the closure plate.

[0022] According to one embodiment, the gussets are oriented radially relative to the axis of the pipe and are regularly distributed around the axis of the pipe.

[0023] According to one embodiment, the pipe to which the closure plate is fixed is centered relative to the barrel of the dome structure.

[0024] According to one embodiment, the installation comprises two closing plates fixed to each other by at least two metal sheets forming a spacer that maintains a gap between the two closing plates.

[0025] According to one embodiment, the metal sheet also acts as a stiffener.

[0026] According to one embodiment, the dome structure includes a heat insulating packing that fills the interior of the barrel and rests on the closure plate, so that the insulation of the dome structure is efficient and easy to install.

[0027] According to one embodiment, the mesh is interposed between the insulating packing and the closure plate, thus making it possible to retain the insulating packing within the barrel.

[0028] According to one embodiment, the insulating packing is selected from glass wool, rock wool, and insulating foam, such as polyurethane foam.

[0029] According to one embodiment, the insulating packing comprises one or more foam blocks. According to another embodiment, the insulating packing comprises sprayed foam.

[0030] According to another embodiment, the dome structure includes a thermal insulating packing covering the exterior surface of the barrel that protrudes beyond the upper support wall of the support structure.

[0031] According to one embodiment, the insulating packing also covers the exterior surface of the ceiling of the dome structure.

[0032] According to one embodiment, the pipe is fixed to the closure plate and connected to a spray bar containing one or more spray nozzles, which allows for easier installation of the spray bar than in the prior art, where the spray bar is fixed to the upper wall of the tank.

[0033] According to one embodiment, the spray bar has an annular shape.

[0034] According to one embodiment, the spray nozzles are distributed around a central axis of the annular shape of the spray bar.

[0035] According to one embodiment, the closure plate is arranged in the interior space of the sealed, insulated tank, and therefore below the lower end of the barrel.

[0036] According to one embodiment, the closure plate is arranged in the interior space of the sealed, insulated tank at a distance from the lower end of the barrel, which makes it possible in particular to facilitate the operation of fastening the closure plate to the barrel.

[0037] According to one embodiment, the closure plate extends in a plane located at a vertical distance of less than 50 cm, advantageously more than 5 cm, preferably between 10 cm and 25 cm from the plane of the lower end of the barrel, such a distance therefore making it possible to position the closure plate above the maximum loading limit of the tank while facilitating the fixing of the closure plate to the barrel.

[0038] According to one embodiment, projected onto the plane of the lower end of the barrel, the closure plate covers at least 80%, preferably more than 95%, of the cross section of the lower part of the barrel.

[0039] According to one embodiment, the closure plate comprises a plurality of holes, and the liquefied gas storage facility comprises a plurality of pipes intended to transport liquefied gas, each pipe passing through the dome structure and through one of the holes formed in the closure plate.

[0040] According to one embodiment, at least one of the pipes is for unloading the liquefied gas stored in the tank, said pipe extending close to the bottom wall of the tank and equipped with a unloading pump.

[0041] According to one embodiment, at least one of the pipes is for loading liquefied gas stored in a tank.

[0042] The facility according to one of the above embodiments may for example be a land-based storage facility for storing LNG, or may be installed on a floating structure, coastal or in deep waters, in particular an LNG or ethane carrier, a floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU), a remote floating production and storage unit (FPSO), etc. In the case of a floating structure, the tanks of the facility may be intended to receive liquefied natural gas that serves as fuel for the propulsion of the floating structure.

[0043] According to one embodiment, a carrier for transporting fluids comprises an outer hull, such as a double hull, and a liquefied gas storage facility as described above, the outer hull of the carrier forming a support structure.

[0044] According to one embodiment, the present invention also provides a method for loading and unloading such a carrier, wherein fluid is transferred from a floating or onshore storage facility to tanks on the carrier, or from tanks on the carrier to the floating or onshore storage facility, via an insulated pipeline.

[0045] According to one embodiment, the present invention also provides a system for transporting a fluid, comprising a carrier vessel as described above, an insulated pipeline arranged to connect a tank installed within the hull of the carrier vessel to a floating or onshore storage facility, and a pump for pumping the flow of fluid through the insulated pipeline from the floating or onshore storage facility to the tank of the carrier vessel or from the tank of the carrier vessel to the floating or onshore storage facility. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0046] The invention will be better understood, and other objects, details, features and advantages will appear more clearly, from the following description of some particular embodiments of the invention, given by way of non-limiting example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0047] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a support structure intended to support a sealed, insulated tank for storing liquefied gas, without the dome structure shown.

[0048] [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic diagram of the multi-layer structure of the tank wall.

[0049] [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a dome structure of a sealed, insulated tank.

[0050] [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the bottom of the dome structure of FIG. 3, without the spray device shown.

[0051] [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the lower end of the dome structure of FIG. 3 from above.

[0052] [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a view from below of the dome structure of FIG. 3.

[0053] [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a dome structure of a sealed, insulated tank according to another embodiment.

[0054] [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a detailed view of the pipe and closure plate of FIG. 7.

[0055] [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a dome structure of a sealed, insulated tank according to yet another embodiment.

[0056] [Figure 10] 1 shows a schematic, cutaway view of a carrier vessel with tanks for storing liquefied natural gas and a terminal for loading and unloading said tanks. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0057] Referring to Figure 1, this shows a support structure 1 to which a sealed, insulated tank for storing liquefied gas is intended to be fixed. The support structure 1 is formed, for example, by the double hull of a carrier ship. The support structure 1 has a generally polyhedral shape. It has two support walls, in this case an octagonal front and rear wall 2, of which only the rear support wall 2 is shown in Figure 1. The front and rear walls 2 are, for example, cofferdam walls of the carrier extending transversely to the longitudinal direction of the carrier. The support structure 1 also includes an upper support wall 3, a lower support wall 4, and lateral support walls 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10.

[0058] The sealed, insulated tank for storing liquefied gas comprises a plurality of tank walls, each fixed to one of the support walls 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 of the support structure 1 and thus defining an interior space intended to contain the liquefied gas.

[0059] As shown in Figure 2, each wall of the tank comprises, successively in the thickness direction of the wall from the outside to the inside, a secondary insulating barrier 12 comprising an insulating element 13 fixed to the support structure 1, a secondary sealing membrane 14 fixed to the insulating element 13 of the secondary insulating barrier 12, a primary insulating barrier 15 comprising an insulating element 16 fixed to the insulating element 13 of the secondary insulating barrier 12 or to the support structure 1 and resting on the secondary sealing membrane 14, and a primary sealing membrane 17 fixed to the insulating element 16 of the primary insulating barrier 15 and intended to be in contact with the liquefied gas contained in the tank. By way of example, such membrane tanks are described in patent applications WO 14057221, FR 2691520 and FR 2877638, in particular for the products Mark V®, Mark III® and NO96® developed by the Applicant.

[0060] The liquefied gas stored in the tanks may in particular be liquefied natural gas (LNG), i.e. a gas mixture containing mainly methane and one or more other hydrocarbons, ethane or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), i.e. a mixture of hydrocarbons resulting from the refining of petroleum containing essentially propane and butane.

[0061] As shown in Figure 3, the upper support wall 3 and the ceiling wall 11 of the tank are locally interrupted to define an opening 18. The tank also includes a dome structure 19 that projects upwardly from the upper support wall 3 around the opening 18 and defines a passage 24 through which pass pipes 20, 21, 31 intended for loading liquefied gas into the tank, unloading liquefied gas from the tank, or cooling liquefied gas from the tank, respectively.

[0062] The dome structure 19 has a barrel 22 extending through the thickness of the ceiling wall 11. The barrel 22 has a cylindrical shape with a circular cross section. The dome structure 19 further includes a ceiling 23 welded to the upper end of the barrel 22. The ceiling 23 is advantageously domed with a downwardly concave surface, allowing the dome structure 19 to withstand greater pressure within the tank. A lower end 33 of the barrel 22 faces the interior space of the tank and is hermetically welded to the primary sealing membrane 17. The barrel 22 and ceiling 23 are made of, for example, stainless steel. The barrel 22 is fixed to the upper support wall 3 by, for example, an annular fastener 32.

[0063] The dome structure 19 further includes a closure plate 25 fixed to the barrel 22. The closure plate 25 is fixed to the lower end of the barrel 22 by a plurality of gussets 26, as shown in Figures 4 and 5. The gussets 26 are regularly distributed around the closure plate 25. The gussets 26 are welded to the inner surface of the barrel 22 on one side and to the upper surface of the closure plate 25 on the other side. The gusset 26 in this case includes two mutually perpendicular wings, one of which is fixed to the barrel 22 and the other is fixed to the closure plate 25.

[0064] The closure plate 25 is arranged facing the lower end 33 of the barrel 22 so as to at least partially cover the lower end. In the illustrated embodiment, the closure plate 25 is offset slightly downward with respect to the lower end 33 of the barrel 22. For example, the vertical distance between the plane of the closure plate 25 and the plane of the lower end 33 of the barrel 22 is less than 50 cm and more than 5 cm, preferably between 10 cm and 25 cm. Such a gap between the closure plate 25 and the lower end 33 of the barrel 22 makes it easier to weld the gusset 26 to the closure plate 25.

[0065] Advantageously, when projected along a vertical axis in the plane of the lower end 33 of the barrel 22, the closure plate 25 and its holes 27, 28, 29 cover at least 80%, advantageously at least 90%, preferably 100% of the cross section of the barrel 22. The closure plate 25 comprises a plurality of holes 27, 28, 29 through which the pipes 20, 21, 31 pass. The closure plate 25 is advantageously made from stainless steel.

[0066] Furthermore, in the illustrated embodiment, to ensure thermal insulation of the dome structure 19, an insulating packing 30 is housed within the barrel 22 to fill the space within the barrel 22. According to one embodiment, the insulating packing 30 is selected from among glass wool, rock wool, and insulating foam such as polyurethane foam. When the insulating packing includes insulating foam, it may be composed of one or more insulating blocks or may be obtained by spraying a solution of expanding foam onto the interior of the barrel 22.

[0067] The insulating packing 30 abuts against the closure plate 25. Advantageously, a mesh 34, shown in Figure 3, is interposed between the closure plate 25 and the insulating packing 30 to hold the insulating packing 30 inside the barrel 22. The closure plate 25 therefore ensures that the insulating packing 30 is supported inside the barrel 22.

[0068] According to another embodiment not shown, in addition to or instead of the insulating packing 30 housed within the barrel 22, the barrel 22 and the roof 23 of the dome structure 19 are covered by insulating packing on their outer surfaces protruding from the upper support wall 3 so as to provide thermal continuity with the insulation of the roof wall 11 of the tank.

[0069] The closure plate 25 provides further protection for the dome structure 19, and more particularly the barrel 22 and the insulating packing 30, from sloshing of liquefied gas which could damage them.

[0070] Furthermore, the closure plate 25 also allows for the installation of a spraying device 35 (shown in FIGS. 3 and 6) near the tank's ceiling wall 11, which is intended to spray liquefied gas into the tank's interior space. Such a spraying device allows for cooling the tank, particularly before it is filled with liquefied gas. The purpose of this cooling is to reduce the temperature inside the tank, particularly to prevent excessive evaporation of the liquefied gas during loading, limit the intensity of thermal stresses in certain components housed within the tank, and prevent situations that are likely to be detrimental to the tank's safety and / or its integrity. The spraying device 35 includes a pipe 31 that runs continuously through the barrel 22 or ceiling 23 of the dome structure 19 and a thermal insulating packing 30 housed within the barrel 22. The pipe 31 also passes through a hole 29 formed in the closure plate 25. The pipe 31 leads to a spray bar 36 (shown in FIG. 6) fixed to the underside of the closure plate 25.

[0071] The spray bar 36 comprises a plurality of spray nozzles 37, which are oriented to ensure a uniform distribution of the gas sprayed into the interior space of the tank. According to the alternative embodiment shown, the spray bar 36 has an annular shape, and the spray nozzles 37 are regularly distributed around the central axis of said annular shape. The spray bar 36 can be fixed to the inner surface of the closure plate 25 by any suitable means, such as, for example, a fastening collar or fastening clips.

[0072] The pipe 20 is for loading liquefied gas into the tank. It has an elbow section that passes through the barrel 22 and is extended by a vertical section that passes through the closure plate 25, so that the lower end of the pipe 20 opens into the interior space of the tank. Furthermore, the pipe 20 is connected outside the tank to a loading pipeline that includes a manifold intended to be connected to a marine or port terminal or a bunker ship.

[0073] The pipe 21 is used to unload liquefied gas from the tank. In the illustrated embodiment, the pipe 21 passes through the ceiling 23 of the dome structure 19 and then through a closure plate 25. The pipe 21 extends over almost the entire height of the tank up to near the bottom wall of the tank. Furthermore, the pipe 21 is provided with a unloading pump (not shown).

[0074] The dome structure 19 may also have a level sensor and a thermometer with multiple temperature sensors distributed vertically in the interior space of the tank, for example, mounted along vertical uprights that pass through one of the openings in the closure plate 25 and each extend along one of the pipes 20, 21, 31 and are fixed to the pipe.

[0075] Figures 7 and 8 show a dome structure according to another embodiment. This embodiment differs from the one described above with reference to Figures 3 to 6 in particular in that the installation includes a pipe 38 for discharging gas in gas phase, that the dome structure 19 includes a second closure plate 39, and that the closure plate 25 and the second closure plate 39 are not fixed to the barrel 22 of the dome structure 19 but are fixed directly to the pipe 38. Such a pipe 38 allows gas in gas phase to be discharged from the interior space of the tank and transported, for example, to a carrier, a reliquefaction unit or the propulsion system of a burner.

[0076] 8, the closure plate 25 has an opening through which the pipe 38 passes. Additionally, the closure plate 25 is secured to the pipe 38 by a gusset 40 having an edge welded to the pipe 38 and an edge welded to the top surface of the closure plate 25. In the illustrated embodiment, the closure plate 25 is secured to an attached lower portion of the pipe 38, which is secured to the remainder of the pipe 38, for example by a bolted flange.

[0077] Furthermore, a second closure plate 39 is arranged below and parallel to the closure plate 25, and a metal sheet 41 is arranged between the closure plate 25 and the second closure plate 39 and welded to these plates. Thus, the metal sheet 41 functions as a spacer that maintains the gap between the two closure plates 25 and 39 and also as a reinforcement that reinforces the rigidity of the closure plates 25 and 39. In the illustrated embodiment, the pipe 38 does not pass through the second closure plate 39, but the second closure plate has an opening for allowing gas stored in the tank's internal space to pass through the pipe 38.

[0078] FIG. 9 shows a dome structure according to yet another embodiment. In this embodiment, the barrel 22 and ceiling 23 of the dome structure 19 are covered on their outer surfaces, protruding from the upper support wall 3, with insulating gaskets 42 to provide thermal continuity with the insulation of the tank's ceiling wall 11. Furthermore, the dome structure 19 includes a gas supply pipe 43 opening into the interior of the barrel 22 and a pipe 44, which passes through an opening formed in the closure plate 25 and has its lower end opening into the tank's interior space, e.g., near its bottom wall. The pipes 43 and 44 can be used, for example, during tank start-up or maintenance operations, particularly for heating, inerting, or drying the tank. For example, during tank inerting, an inert gas is injected into the tank's interior space via the gas supply pipe 43. The inert gas thus pushes the gases constituting the initial atmosphere in the tank to the bottom of the tank like a piston, where it is sucked in by the pipe 44. It should be noted that in such an embodiment where gas is injected into the dome structure 19, it is advantageous to place the insulating packing 42 on the outside of the barrel 22, rather than on the inside, to limit head loss.

[0079] 10, a cutaway view of a liquefied gas carrier 70 shows a generally prismatic sealed and insulated tank 71 mounted within the carrier's double hull 72. 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 carrier's double hull 72, and two insulating barriers arranged between the primary sealing membrane and the secondary sealing membrane and between the secondary sealing membrane and the double hull 72, respectively.

[0080] In a manner known per se, a loading pipeline 73 located on the upper deck of the carrier can be connected by suitable connectors to a marine or port terminal for transporting a cargo of LNG from or to the tank 71.

[0081] FIG. 10 also shows an example of a marine terminal comprising a loading station 75, submerged pipes 76, and onshore facilities 77. The loading station 75 is a fixed offshore facility comprising a movable arm 74 and a tower 78 supporting the movable arm 74. The movable arm 74 carries a bundle of insulated flexible hoses 79 that can be connected to a loading / unloading pipeline 73. The orientable movable arm 74 can be adjusted to fit any size liquefied gas carrier. A connecting pipe (not shown) extends inside the tower 78. The loading and unloading station 75 allows the liquefied gas carrier 70 to be loaded and unloaded from or to onshore facilities 77. The facility comprises a liquefied gas storage tank 80 and a connecting pipe 81 connected to the loading or unloading station 75 by a submerged pipe 76. The underwater pipes 76 allow the transport of liquefied gas between the loading station 75 and the onshore facility 77 over long distances, for example 5 km, which allows the liquefied gas carrier 70 to be kept a long distance from shore during loading and unloading operations.

[0082] To generate the pressure required to transport the liquefied gas, pumps on board the carrier 70 and / or pumps attached to the onshore facility 77 and / or pumps attached to the loading station 75 are used.

[0083] Although the present invention has been described with reference to some particular embodiments, it is clear that the invention is in no way limited thereto, but also includes all technical equivalents of the described means and combinations thereof, provided that these fall within the scope of the invention as defined by the claims.

[0084] Use of the verb "to comprise" or "to include" and their conjugations does not exclude the presence of elements or steps other than those stated in a claim.

[0085] In the claims, any reference signs placed between parentheses shall not be construed as limiting the claim.

Claims

1. A liquefied gas storage facility comprising a support structure (1) and a sealed, insulated tank arranged in the support structure (1), the sealed, insulated tank having an interior space, the support structure (1) comprising an upper support wall (3), the tank comprising a ceiling wall (11) fixed to the upper support wall (3), the ceiling wall (11) comprising, in a thickness direction from the outside to the inside of the tank, at least one insulating barrier (12, 15) and at least one sealing membrane (17) supported by the insulating barrier (12, 15) and intended to be in contact with the liquefied gas contained in the tank, The storage facility comprises a dome structure (19) passing through an opening (18) formed in the ceiling wall (11) and the upper support wall (3), the dome structure (19) including a barrel (22) extending in the thickness direction, the barrel (22) including a lower end (33) directed toward the internal space of the tank and at least one closure plate (25, 39) arranged opposite to the lower end (33) of the barrel (22) so as to cover it, the closure plate (25) including at least one hole (27, 28, 29); The storage facility includes at least one pipe (20, 21, 31, 38, 44) intended to transport liquefied gas, the pipe (20, 21, 31) passing through the dome structure (19) and through the holes (27, 28, 29) formed in the closure plate (25).

2. 2. The liquefied gas storage facility according to claim 1, wherein the closing plate (25) is fixed to the barrel (22), and the pipes (20, 21, 31) are attached inside the holes (27, 28, 29) so as to be freely translatable in the thickness direction.

3. 3. The liquefied gas storage facility according to claim 2, wherein the closure plate (25) is fixed to the barrel (22) by a plurality of fixing elements (26).

4. 4. The liquefied gas storage facility according to claim 3, wherein the fixing elements are gussets (26) fixed on the one hand to the inner surface of the barrel (22) and on the other hand to the upper surface of the closure plate (25).

5. 2. The liquefied gas storage facility according to claim 1, wherein the closure plate (25) is fixed to the pipe (38) by at least two gussets (40).

6. 6. A liquefied gas storage facility as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, comprising two closure plates (25, 39) fixed to each other by at least two metal sheets (41) forming a spacer that maintains a gap between the two closure plates (25, 39).

7. 6. The liquefied gas storage facility according to claim 1, wherein the dome structure (19) includes an insulating packing (30) that fills the interior of the barrel (22) and is placed on the closure plate (25).

8. 8. The liquefied gas storage facility according to claim 7, wherein a mesh (34) is interposed between the insulating packing (30) and the closing plate (25).

9. 8. The liquefied gas storage facility according to claim 7, wherein the insulating packing (30) is selected from the group consisting of glass wool, rock wool, and insulating foam.

10. 6. The liquefied gas storage facility according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the dome structure (19) includes an insulating packing (42) covering the outer surface (30) of the barrel (22) that protrudes beyond the upper support wall (3) of the support structure (1).

11. 6. A liquefied gas storage facility according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the pipes are connected to a spray bar (36) fixed to the closure plate (25) and comprising one or more spray nozzles (37).

12. The liquefied gas storage facility of claim 11, wherein the spray bar (36) has an annular shape.

13. 6. The liquefied gas storage facility according to claim 1, wherein the closure plate (25) is positioned within the interior space of the sealed, insulated tank at a distance from the lower end (33) of the barrel (22).

14. 6. A liquefied gas storage facility as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, in vertical projection onto the plane of the lower end (33) of the barrel (22), the closure plate (25) covers at least 80% of the cross section of the lower end (33) of the barrel (22).

15. 6. A liquefied gas storage facility according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the closure plate (25) comprises a plurality of holes (27, 28, 29), and the liquefied gas storage facility comprises a plurality of pipes (20, 21, 31) intended to transport liquefied gas, each pipe (20, 21, 31) passing through the dome structure (19) and through one of the holes (27, 28, 29) formed in the closure plate (25).

16. 16. The liquefied gas storage facility according to claim 15, wherein at least one of the pipes (21) is for unloading the liquefied gas stored in the tank, the pipe (21) extending close to the bottom wall of the tank and equipped with an unloading pump.

17. 16. Liquefied gas storage facility according to claim 15, wherein at least one of the pipes (20) is for loading liquefied gas stored in the tank.

18. 6. A carrier (70) for transporting a fluid, comprising a hull (72) and a liquefied gas storage facility according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the hull of the carrier (70) forms the support structure.

19. 20. A system for transporting liquefied gas, comprising: a carrier (70) according to claim 18; an insulated pipeline (73, 79, 76, 81) arranged to connect the tank (71) installed within the outer hull of the carrier to a floating or onshore storage facility (77); and a pump for pumping fluid from the floating or onshore storage facility to the tank of the carrier or from the tank to the floating or onshore storage facility via the insulated pipeline.

20. 20. A method for loading and unloading a carrier vessel (71) according to claim 18, wherein fluid is transported from a floating or onshore storage facility (77) to the tanks of the carrier vessel (70) or from the tanks of the carrier vessel to the floating or onshore storage facility via an insulated pipeline (73, 79, 76, 81).

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