Sealed heat insulation tank

Abstract

To provide a sealed heat insulation tank in which the stress received by a primary sealed membrane is more evenly distributed.SOLUTION: The invention relates to a wall of a sealed heat insulation tank for storing a liquefied gas. The wall comprises at least one heat insulation barrier 6 and a sealed membrane 8 that is fixed to the heat insulation barrier 6 and is configured to come in contact with the liquefied gas received in the heat insulation tank. The heat insulation barrier 6 comprises heat insulation panels 7 juxtaposed in rows and columns parallel to each other. Each heat insulation panel 7 has an inner face supporting the sealed membrane 8 and is connected to adjacent heat insulation panels 7 by means of bridging elements 26. Each bridging element 26 is arranged astride two adjacent heat insulation panels 7 and is fixed in a recess 25 provided in an edge of the inner face of one of the two adjacent insulating panels 7 and in a recess 25 provided in an edge of the inner face of the other of the two adjacent insulating panels 7.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of sealed, insulated tanks for storing and / or transporting liquefied gases, such as tanks for transporting liquefied petroleum gas (also called LPG) at temperatures from -50°C to 0°C or for transporting liquefied natural gas (LNG) at approximately -163°C at atmospheric pressure.

[0002] These tanks may be installed on land or on floating structures, in which case the tanks may be intended for the transportation of liquefied gas or for the containment of liquefied gas to be used as fuel for propelling the floating structure. [Background technology]

[0003] Known from the prior art are sealed, insulated tanks with a tank wall supported on a support structure, the tank wall comprising, in the thickness direction from the outside to the inside of the sealed, insulated tank, a secondary insulating barrier supported on the support structure, a secondary sealing membrane supported on the secondary insulating barrier, a primary insulating barrier supported on the secondary sealing membrane and a corrugated primary sealing membrane supported on the primary insulating barrier. Such sealed, insulated tanks are used, inter alia, for the transportation of liquefied gases, such as liquefied natural gas (LNG), in particular on board floating structures such as ships.

[0004] It is known to manufacture the primary sealing membrane by assembling a number of corrugated sheets, the corrugations of which advantageously run at right angles to one another. The corrugations give the primary sealing membrane a certain flexibility, which allows it to deform under the influence of thermal and mechanical stresses, in particular the stresses generated by the liquefied gas stored in the tank and the stresses associated with deformations of the supporting structure. The primary sealing membrane is fixed onto the insulating panels of the primary insulating barrier.

[0005] The applicant has noted that in tanks of the above type, the corrugations of the primary sealing membrane are not uniformly stressed. In particular, the primary insulating barrier is composed of discontinuous, i.e. juxtaposed, insulating panels, which result in a non-uniform behavior when the supporting structure deforms under the effects of expansion and under the effects of thermal and mechanical stresses caused by the liquefied gas stored in the tank. The applicant has therefore noted that the corrugations located in the zone spanning the first fixing element fixed to the first insulating panel and the second fixing element fixed to the second insulating panel are subject to higher stresses than the other corrugations. Here, it is important to ensure that the stresses are distributed as uniformly as possible between the corrugations of the primary sealing membrane, in particular in order to optimize the service life of the primary sealing membrane. Summary of the Invention

[0006] One idea behind the present invention is to provide a sealed, insulated tank in which the stresses experienced by the primary sealing membrane are more evenly distributed.

[0007] In one embodiment, the present invention relates to a wall of a sealed insulated tank for storing liquefied gas, the wall comprising at least one insulating barrier and one sealing membrane fixed to the insulating barrier and configured to be in contact with the liquefied gas contained in the sealed insulated tank, the insulating barrier comprising insulating panels juxtaposed in parallel rows and columns, each insulating panel having an inner surface supporting the sealing membrane and connected to adjacent insulating panels by bridging elements, each bridging element being disposed across two adjacent insulating panels and fixed to an inner surface of one of the two adjacent insulating panels and an inner surface of the other of the two adjacent insulating panels, the insulating panels each being provided with a relief slot formed in a thickness direction of the wall, each bridging element being connected to an inner surface of the insulating panel by a bridging element. The gasket element is secured to one of the insulation panels between an edge of the insulation panel and a relief slot adjacent to and parallel to the edge.

[0008] The bridging element thus provides a mechanical connection between the insulation panels, which limits or prevents separation of the panels from one another in a plane parallel to the surfaces of the insulation panels.

[0009] Advantageously, the insulation panels must be deformable to prevent them from separating from each other, and therefore the stiffness of the insulation panels must be less than the stiffness of the element that causes the deformation, i.e. the bridging element. Here, the relief slots make the stiffness of the insulation panels less than the stiffness of the bridging element. The bridging element therefore deforms the insulation panels. This feature therefore contributes to a more uniform distribution of deformations of the support structure over the primary insulation barrier. Thus, stresses are more uniformly applied to the corrugations of the sealing membrane.

[0010] According to embodiments, such a tank wall may comprise one or more of the following features:

[0011] In one embodiment, the bridging element is a metal plate, which makes it possible to provide a robust mechanical connection between the insulation panels so that they can be deformed.

[0012] In one embodiment, each bridging element is secured to a recess formed in the inner surface of one of two adjacent insulation panels and to a recess formed in the inner surface of the other of the two adjacent insulation panels.

[0013] In one embodiment, at least one of the bridging elements comprises a central part and two bent edges respectively arranged at the two ends of the central part, each bent edge being placed in a respective groove in one of the recesses, the grooves having a length greater than the width of the bent edge, at least one of the two grooves being inclined in a plane perpendicular to the thickness direction of the wall by an angle α1 with respect to the adjacent edge of the insulation panel in which the recess is formed. Such a configuration is advantageous in that the bent edges can be placed in grooves present on the inner surface of the insulation panel or metal mounting plate even if the spacing e1 between the primary panels does not correspond to its nominal value, as long as it remains within a determined tolerance range. This configuration therefore allows a simple, fast and accurate positioning of the bridging element even if the spacing e1 between the insulation panels differs from the nominal value.

[0014] In one embodiment, the other of the two grooves is inclined in a plane perpendicular to the thickness direction of the wall at an angle α2 to the adjacent edge of the insulation panel in which the recess surrounding the groove is formed, the angles α1 and α2 being oriented angles having opposite directions to each other.

[0015] In one embodiment, angles α1 and α2 are between 5° and 10°.

[0016] In one embodiment, angles α1 and α2 are the same value.

[0017] In one embodiment, the angles α1 and α2 and the length of the groove are such that it is possible to cover a tolerance range for the spacing e1 between the insulating panels of 1 mm to 10 mm, for example around 3 mm.

[0018] In one embodiment, each groove is formed in a metal mounting plate that is secured to one of the recesses.

[0019] In another embodiment, each groove is formed in a zone of the insulating panel that defines the bottom of one of the recesses. In this way, the metal mounting plate can be omitted.

[0020] In one embodiment, the central portion of the bridging element is secured to the two insulating panels by fasteners, e.g., screws. In an alternative embodiment, or in addition, the bridging element is welded to a grooved metal mounting plate. In one embodiment, the weld between the bridging element and the metal mounting plate is along the edge of the central portion of the bridging element.

[0021] In one embodiment, grooves extending along one and the same edge of the primary panel are alternately inclined in one direction and then the other relative to said edge of the primary panel.

[0022] In one embodiment, each folded edge has a slope, relative to the edge of the adjacent insulation panel, that is the same as the slope of the groove in which it is located.

[0023] In one embodiment, each recess is located between an edge of one of the insulation panels and one of the relief slots adjacent and parallel to that edge.

[0024] In one embodiment, each metal plate is welded to two metal mounting plates which are respectively fixed in one of the recesses of two adjacent insulation panels. The fixing of the bridging elements is therefore simple, since the metal mounting plates can be fixed to the insulation elements in the workshop, and therefore the bridging elements can be fixed during the assembly of the tank using welding tools which must already be in the tank, in particular welding tools for welding together the sheets of the sealing membrane, the operation of which is well understood by the workers responsible for the manufacture of the tank.

[0025] In another embodiment, each metal plate is riveted into one of the recesses of each of two adjacent insulation panels, which also provides a simple fixing of the bridging element.

[0026] In one embodiment, the sealing membrane is welded to at least some of the metal plates. The bridging element therefore performs two functions: on the one hand, it provides a mechanical connection between the insulation panels and, on the other hand, it fixes the sealing membrane to the insulation barrier.

[0027] In one embodiment, the sealing membrane comprises metal sheets, each metal sheet having an edge aligned with at least some of the metal plates to form an overlapping edge or overlapping edge, respectively, that is welded to an overlapping edge or overlapping edge, respectively, in an adjacent metal sheet, each overlapping edge being further welded to at least one of the metal plates in a position coinciding with the position of the overlapping edge.

[0028] In one embodiment, the insulation panel has a parallelepiped shape and has two first edges parallel to a first direction and two second edges parallel to a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, the metal sheet comprises two first edges parallel to the first direction, the two first edges having a dimension equal to or an integer multiple of a dimension of the first edge of the insulation panel, and two second edges parallel to the second direction, the two second edges having a dimension equal to or an integer multiple of a dimension of the second edge of the insulation panel, the first edges of the metal sheet extending along at least some of the two first edges of the insulation panel such that they lie along some of the metal plates, and the second edges of the metal sheet extending along at least some of the two first edges of the insulation panel such that they lie along some of the metal plates. The insulating panel may extend along at least some of the second edges such that the insulating panel is positioned along some of the second edges.

[0029] In one embodiment, the two first edges of the metal sheet have dimensions that are integer multiples of the first edges of the insulation panel such that the metal sheet completely covers some of the metal plates, and the metal sheet is welded to the completely covered metal plates by plug welding or by through-hole welding.

[0030] In one embodiment, the bridging element is flush with the inner surface of the insulation panel to ensure continuity of support for the sealing membrane.

[0031] In another embodiment, the bridging element protrudes beyond the inner surface of the insulation panel towards the sealing membrane by an amount advantageously less than 3 mm, for example between 1.2 mm and 3 mm.

[0032] In one embodiment, the sealing membrane has two series of corrugations perpendicular to each other.

[0033] In one embodiment, a relief slot in the insulation panel is formed opposite each of the two series of corrugations in the sealing membrane, such relief slots allowing the insulation panel to be deformed by the bridging elements, and thus reducing the stiffness of the insulation panel, so that the insulation barrier deforms more uniformly.

[0034] In one embodiment, the number and depth of the relief slots in the insulation panel are set so that the tensile stiffness of the insulation panel in a first direction and a second direction perpendicular to the wall thickness direction and parallel to the rows and columns of the insulation panel, respectively, is lower than the stiffness of the bridging element in the first direction and the second direction, respectively, advantageously by a factor of three or more.

[0035] In one advantageous embodiment, the depth of the slots is determined so as to open the various slots as uniformly as possible under the effect of deformation of the support structure, thus resulting in the most uniform deformation of the corrugations as possible.

[0036] In one embodiment, the relief slots are greater than 60 mm deep through the wall thickness.

[0037] In one embodiment, each insulation panel is provided with a first series of relief slots, e.g., three slots, formed in an inner surface of the insulation panel and parallel to two opposing first edges of the insulation panel, and a second series of relief slots, e.g., three slots, formed in the inner surface of the insulation panel and parallel to two opposing second edges of the insulation panel.

[0038] In one embodiment, the relief slots are between 80mm and 150mm deep through the wall thickness, preferably between 115mm and 150mm deep.

[0039] In one embodiment, at least one of the two series of relief slots has at least a central relief slot and two edge relief slots extending on either side of the central relief slot, and the depth of the central relief slot is greater than the depth of each of the two edge relief slots.

[0040] In one embodiment, the relief slots are formed on the inner surface of the insulation panel, and the insulation panel further comprises outer relief slots, the outer relief slots being formed on the outer surface of the insulation panel parallel to the relief slots formed on the inner surface and alternating with the relief slots formed on the inner surface in a direction perpendicular to the outer relief slots. In other words, each outer relief slot is between two relief slots formed on the inner surface in a direction perpendicular to the outer relief slots. are located at.

[0041] In one embodiment, the outer relief slots are greater than 60mm deep, for example 115mm to 150mm deep.

[0042] In one embodiment, each insulation panel has two relief slots, one passing through each of the two central axes of the insulation panel.

[0043] In one embodiment, the relief slots are spaced apart from one another by a fixed distance.

[0044] In one embodiment, the relief slots are spaced apart by a distance that corresponds to the distance between the corrugations parallel to the relief slots.

[0045] In one embodiment, the inner sheet of the insulation panel has four edges each having a plurality of recesses, the recesses being located on either side of each relief slot.

[0046] In one embodiment, the sealing membrane is a primary sealing membrane and the insulating barrier is a primary insulating barrier, and the wall further comprises a secondary insulating barrier held against a support structure and a secondary sealing membrane secured to the secondary insulating barrier and disposed between the secondary insulating barrier and the primary insulating barrier.

[0047] In one embodiment, the present invention relates to a sealed, insulated tank comprising a wall as described above.

[0048] A tank according to one of the above-mentioned embodiments may for example form part of a land-based storage facility for storing LNG or may be installed on a floating structure, either onshore or offshore, in particular an ethane or methane tanker vessel, a Floating Storage and Remineralisation Unit (FSRU), a Floating Production Storage and Offloading Unit (FPSO), etc. In the case of a floating structure, the tank may be arranged to contain liquefied natural gas serving as fuel for the propulsion of the floating structure.

[0049] In one embodiment, the present invention relates to a ship for transporting fluids comprising a hull, such as a double hull, and the above-mentioned sealed insulated tank located within the hull.

[0050] In one embodiment, the invention also provides a method for loading and unloading such a vessel, whereby fluid is transported via an insulated pipeline from a floating or on-shore storage facility to the vessel's sealed, insulated tanks or from the vessel's sealed, insulated tanks to the floating or on-shore storage facility.

[0051] In one embodiment, the present invention also provides a transfer system for transferring a fluid, the system comprising a ship as described above, an insulated pipeline arranged to connect a sealed insulated tank installed within the hull of the ship to a floating or on-shore storage facility, and a pump for pumping the fluid through the insulated pipeline from the floating or on-shore storage facility to the sealed insulated tank of the ship or from the sealed insulated tank of the ship to the floating or on-shore storage facility.

[0052] The invention will be better understood and other objects, details, features and advantages will become more clearly apparent on reading the following description of several particular embodiments of the invention, given by way of illustrative and non-limiting examples, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: [Brief description of the drawings]

[0053] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the multi-layer structure of the tank wall. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a partial cutaway view of the tank wall. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a corrugated metal sheet of the primary sealing membrane. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is a top view of a partial view of the primary insulating barrier of the tank wall of FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is a cutaway top view of a tank wall according to another embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of a primary anchor device according to one embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a cutaway schematic diagram of a ship having tanks for storing liquefied natural gas and a terminal for loading / unloading the tanks. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a top view showing details of the recess, the bridging element and the metal plate according to one embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of a bridging element according to one embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a top view showing details of the recess, the bridging element and the metal plate according to another embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a primary insulating element and a bridging element according to another embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a primary insulating barrier and primary sealing membrane according to another embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a primary insulating barrier and primary sealing membrane according to another embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a primary insulating element and a bridging element according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0054] By convention, the terms "outside" and "inside" are used to refer to the outside and inside of a tank and to define the relative position of one element to another.

[0055] Figure 1 shows diagrammatically the multi-layer structure of the walls 1 of a sealed, insulated tank for storing liquefied gas. Each wall 1 comprises, from the outside to the inside of the tank, a secondary insulating barrier 2 comprising a secondary panel 3 fixed to a support structure 4, a secondary sealing membrane 5 resting on the secondary insulating barrier 2, a primary insulating barrier 6 comprising a primary panel 7 resting on the secondary sealing membrane 5 and fixed to the secondary panel 3, and a primary sealing membrane 8 resting on the primary insulating barrier 6 and arranged to be in contact with the liquefied gas contained in the tank.

[0056] The support structure 4 may in particular be formed by the hull or double hull of a ship. The support structure 4 comprises a number of walls which define the overall shape of the tank and is usually of polyhedral shape.

[0057] With reference to FIG. 2 it can be seen that the secondary insulating barrier 2 comprises a number of secondary panels 3, which are fixed to the support structure 4 by secondary anchoring devices, not shown. The secondary panels 3 have a parallelepiped overall shape and are arranged in secondary rows parallel to one another. By way of example, in the embodiment shown the secondary panel 3 comprises an insulating polymer foam layer 9 sandwiched between an outer sheet 10 and an inner sheet 11, which are, for example, made of plywood and are bonded to the insulating polymer foam layer 9. The insulating polymer foam may in particular be a polyurethane-based polymer foam, optionally reinforced with glass fibres. The structure of the secondary panel 3 described above is given by way of example. In other embodiments the secondary panel 3 may also be adopted in other overall structures, for example those described in WO 2012 / 127141. The secondary panel 3 may also consist, for example, of a parallelepiped wooden box with internal partitions and filled with insulating packing. In another embodiment, the secondary insulating barrier 2 comprises a secondary panel 3, which comprises at least two different types of constructions, such as the two constructions mentioned above, depending on where it is located in the tank.

[0058] The secondary sealing membrane 5, partially shown in FIG. 2, comprises a continuous layer of metal strakes 12 having two parallel, upwardly folded edges. The strakes 12 are formed by their upwardly folded edges into parallel strakes 12 received in grooves formed in the inner sheet 11 of the secondary panel 3. The strakes 12 are made, for example, from Invar, i.e., a material with a typical coefficient of expansion of 1.2×10 -6 / K to 2×10 -6 / K. It is made of an alloy of iron and nickel, and has a coefficient of expansion of typically 7×10 -6 / K to 9×10 -6 It is also possible to use an alloy of iron and manganese, preferably 0.15 / K. In another embodiment, the metal membrane has corrugations and may for example be manufactured from the same alloy as the strakes.

[0059] Additionally, the primary insulation barrier 6 comprises a plurality of primary panels 7 secured to the secondary insulation barrier 2 by primary anchoring arrangements as described below in connection with Figure 5. The primary panels 7 have an overall rectangular parallelepiped shape and are arranged in rows parallel to one another.

[0060] The primary panel 7 may have a multi-layer structure similar to that of the secondary panel 3. Thus, in the embodiment shown, the primary panel 7 comprises, in order through the thickness of the wall 1, an outer sheet 13, e.g. made of plywood, an insulating polymer foam layer 14 and an inner sheet 15, e.g. made of plywood. The insulating polymer foam layer 14 may be, e.g., a polyurethane-based foam, optionally reinforced with glass fibre. The structure of the primary panel 7 described above is given by way of example.

[0061] In the embodiment shown, the outer sheet 13 and the inner sheet 15 are square in shape, in other words the primary panel 7 has four edges of the same size.

[0062] As shown in FIG. 2, the outer sheet 13 of the primary panel 7 is provided with a groove to receive the upwardly folded edge of the strake 12 of the secondary sealing membrane 5 .

[0063] Moreover, the primary sealing membrane 8 is obtained by assembling several corrugated metal sheets 16, one of which is shown in FIG. 3. The corrugated metal sheets 16 are made, for example, from stainless steel or aluminium. Each corrugated metal sheet 16 has two mutually perpendicular series of corrugations 17, 18. The corrugations 17, 18 are separated from each other by flat portions 19. In this embodiment, the corrugations 17, 18 are continuous and cross each other. In a variant not shown, each of the corrugations 17, 18 has corrugated portions interspersed with flat portions. The corrugations are therefore discontinuous. Advantageously, the corrugated portions do not cross each other.

[0064] The corrugated metal sheet 16 is rectangular and therefore has two opposing first edges 20, 21 that are parallel to one another and two opposing second edges 22, 23 that are parallel to one another and perpendicular to the two first edges 20, 21. The corrugated metal sheet 16 preferably has width and length dimensions that are a whole or integer multiple of the spacing between the corrugations and also an integer multiple of the dimensions of the primary panel 7.

[0065] Thus, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the length of the two first edges 20, 21 is substantially equal to three times the length of the sides of the primary panel 7, while the length of the second edges 22, 23 is substantially equal to the length of the sides of the primary panel 7.

[0066] The inner sheet of the primary panel 7 has relief slots 24, each extending opposite a respective corrugation 17, 18 of the primary sealing membrane 8. The relief slots 24 define a number of edge zones along the edge of each primary panel 7. The relief slots 24 pass through the inner sheet 15 and extend in the wall thickness direction through the insulating polymer foam layer 14 of the primary panel 7. Advantageously, the depth and number of the relief slots 24 are determined so that the tensile stiffness of the primary panel 7 in a direction perpendicular to the wall thickness direction and parallel to the edge of the primary panel 7 is less than the tensile stiffness of the bridging elements 26 in the corresponding direction. The relief slots 24 are therefore advantageously more than 60 mm deep, preferably from 115 mm. By way of example, the primary panel 7 has a thickness of 230 mm, while the relief slots 24 have a depth of 115 mm. The above range of values ​​is preferably within the range of 110 kg / m 3 from 150kg / m 3 , more specifically 130 kg / m 3 150 kg / m 3 from 210kg / m 3 For denser foams, the depth of the relief slots 24 is advantageously greater than the depths corresponding to the ranges of values ​​given above, e.g., 210 kg / m 3130 kg / m for foam 3 40% greater than that of the foam of Example 1. The relationship between the depth of the relief slots 24 and the density of the foam is advantageously linear.

[0067] In the embodiment shown in figures 2 and 4, each primary panel 7 faces three corrugations 17 extending parallel to a first direction and three corrugations 18 extending parallel to a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. Each primary panel 7 also comprises three relief slots 24 extending parallel to the first direction, each arranged opposite one of the corrugations 17, and three relief slots 24 extending parallel to the second direction, each arranged opposite one of the corrugations 17, 18. Thus, the primary panel 7 comprises two relief slots passing respectively through each of the two central axes of said insulation panel 7, i.e. through axes parallel to the two edges of the insulation panel 7 and dividing the insulation panel 7 into two equal parts.

[0068] Thus, the relief slots 24 are spaced apart by a distance corresponding to the spacing between the corrugations 17, 18 parallel to the relief slots 24. However, the relief slots 24 adjacent one of the edges of the primary panel 7 are each spaced apart from that edge by a distance corresponding to substantially half the spacing between the corrugations parallel to the relief slots 24.

[0069] The inner sheet 15 of the primary panel 7 defines a support surface for the primary sealing membrane 8. The primary panels 7 have along each of their edges a recess 25, shown in Figures 2 and 4, configured to receive a bridging element 26 and disposed on either side of each relief slot 24. In other words, each edge zone defined by a relief slot 24 along an edge of the primary panel 7 has a recess 25.

[0070] The bridging elements 26 are each arranged across at least two adjacent primary panels 7, spanning the gap between the two adjacent primary panels 7. Each bridging element 26 has an end that is fixed in a recess 25 of one of the two adjacent primary panels 7 and another end that is fixed in a recess 25 of the other of the two adjacent primary panels 7. The bridging elements 26 therefore provide a mechanical connection between the primary panels 7 that prevents said insulation panels from separating from one another. This, in combination with the presence of the relief slots 24, contributes to distributing the deformations of the support structure 4 more uniformly across the primary insulation barrier 6, thus allowing the primary sealing membrane 8 to be stressed more uniformly.

[0071] To secure the bridging elements 26, each recess 25 is provided with a metal mounting plate 27 which is fixed to the inner sheet 15 inside the recess 25. The metal mounting plate 27 is for example fixed to the inner sheet 15 of the primary panel 7 by gluing and / or using fasteners, for example rivets. Furthermore, the bridging elements 26 are metal plates which are welded to the metal mounting plate 27.

[0072] The bridging element 26 is flush with the inner surface of the inner sheet 15 of the primary element 7. To achieve this, in the embodiment shown, the depth of the recess 25 is equal or substantially equal to the sum of the thicknesses of the metal mounting plate 27 and the bridging element 26. Thus, the bridging element 26 can ensure continuity in the support of the primary sealing membrane 8.

[0073] The corrugated metal sheet 16 of the primary sealing membrane 8 is lap welded along its edges 20, 21, 22, 23. The corrugated metal sheet 16 is further secured to the primary insulating barrier 6.

[0074] In the embodiment shown in Figure 2, the corrugated metal sheet 16 is fixed to some of the metal plates forming the bridging elements 26. To achieve that, edges 20, 21, 22, 23 of the corrugated metal sheet 16 are respectively arranged along some of the edges of the primary panel 7 and along the bridging elements 26.

[0075] In one embodiment, the edges 21, 23 of the first corrugated metal sheet 16, which are configured to overlap the edges 20, 22 of the adjacent second corrugated metal sheet 16, are welded to the bridging element 26, for example using spot welding, and then the edges 20, 22 of the second corrugated metal sheet 16 which overlap the edges 21, 23 of the first corrugated metal sheet 16 are continuously welded to the edges 20, 22 of the first corrugated metal sheet 16, advantageously as fillet welds.

[0076] In one embodiment, not shown, the edge of the primary panel 7 has a heat protection strip outside the recess 25, which is arranged opposite the weld seam of the corrugated metal sheet 16 and is intended to protect the primary panel 7, and in particular the insulating polymer foam layer 14, from temperatures that may tend to damage them, during the operation of welding the corrugated metal sheets 16 together along their edges 20, 21, 22, 23.

[0077] When the corrugated metal sheet 16 has edges 20, 21 whose dimensions are approximately an integer multiple of the dimensions of the edges of the primary panel 7, as is the case in the embodiment in which the edges 20, 21 of the corrugated metal sheet 16 have a length substantially equal to three times the dimensions of the edges of the primary panel 7, the corrugated metal sheet 16 is welded to a bridging element 26 which is completely covered by them in an optional embodiment. To achieve that, in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, the corrugated metal sheet 16 is fixed to the bridging element 26 by means of a plug weld 28. To achieve that, the corrugated metal sheet 16 has at least one through hole, in the form of a slot in the illustrated embodiment, which is made in the plane part of the corrugated metal sheet 16 along the bridging element 26. The through holes are each filled with a welding material to make the connection between the primary sealing membrane 8 and the bridging element 26. Alternatively, the method employed to fasten the corrugated metal sheet 16 to the bridging element 26 that is covered by the corrugated metal sheet 16 is transmission welding, ie welding using a laser source without filler material.

[0078] In another embodiment shown in Figure 5, each corrugated metal sheet 16 is positioned across multiple primary panels 7 such that its edges 20, 21, 22, 23 are offset relative to the edges of the primary panels 7. Thus, only the portion of the edge of the corrugated metal sheet 16 that is located at the junction between two adjacent primary panels 7, and thus along one of the bridging elements 26, is welded to said bridging element 26.

[0079] As a result, the other parts of the edges 20, 21, 22, 23 of the corrugated metal sheet 16 are aligned with the thermal protection element 29 shown in FIG. 5. The thermal protection element 29 is formed, for example, from a sheet of aluminum or a composite film including at least one aluminum foil associated with at least one glass fiber mat. The thermal protection element 29 is advantageously housed in a bore formed in the inner sheet 15 of the primary panel 7 and is located in each gap between two relief slots 24 along the edges 20, 21, 22, 23 of the corrugated metal sheet 16. The thermal protection element 29 is glued and / or stapled to the inner sheet 15 of the primary panel 7. The thermal protection element 29 secures the corrugated metal sheet 16 to its edges 20, 21, 22, 23. During the welding operation together along 3, the primary panels 7, and particularly their insulating polymer foam layer 14, are protected from temperatures which would tend to damage them.

[0080] In an alternative embodiment, the thermal protection element 29 shown in FIG. 5 is replaced by a metal mounting plate housed in a bore formed in the inner sheet 15 of the primary panel 7, to which the edges of the adjacent corrugated metal sheets 16 where they are to be overlapped are welded, for example by means of spot welding or fillet welding.

[0081] Figure 8 shows in detail the recesses 25, the bridging elements 26 and the metal plates 27 according to one embodiment. In this embodiment, each metal plate 27 is secured to one of the recesses 25 by four rivets (two of which are shown in Figure 8). As shown, the ends of the bridging elements 26 are spaced from the ends of the recesses 25 by a sufficient amount of space to expose a surface of the metal plate 27 that allows the ends of the bridging elements 26 to be welded to the metal plate 27.

[0082] In another embodiment, shown in Figure 9, each bridging element 26 is fixed to each of the two metal plates 27 by means of plug welding. To achieve this, the bridging element 26 has two through orifices 38, for example in the form of slots in Figure 9, which are filled with a welding material to make the connection between the bridging element 26 and each of the two metal plates 27.

[0083] 10 shows in detail the recesses 25, the bridging elements 26 and the metal plates 27 according to another modified embodiment. In this modified embodiment, the recesses 25 formed in the corners of the primary panel 7 and the metal plates 27 received in the recesses 25 are each oriented diagonally with respect to the inner surface of the primary panel 7. Furthermore, the bridging elements 26 fixed to the four metal plates 27 belonging to four adjacent primary panels 7, respectively, are octagonal in shape.

[0084] In an embodiment not shown, the metal plate 27 is omitted and the bridging element 26 is fixed directly to the inside of the recess 25 by rivets.

[0085] Fig. 11 shows another embodiment, in which the bridging element 26 is not flush with the inner surface of the insulation panel and the bridging element 26 is not flush. The bridging element 26 comprises two ends welded to a metal plate 27 fixed in a recess 25 formed in the inner surface of the primary panel 7. The two ends of the bridging element 26 protrude slightly above the inner surface of the primary panel 7, for example by an amount of 1.2 mm to 3 mm. This makes it easier to weld the bridging element 26 to the metal plate 27 without too much affecting the behavior of the primary sealing membrane 8. Furthermore, in the embodiment shown, the bridging element 26 comprises a central part that does not extend in the plane of the two ends of said bridging element 26 and that protrudes into the gap formed between two adjacent primary panels 7.

[0086] As shown in FIG. 6 , the primary panel 7 has cutouts 30 at its corners, and its outer sheet 13 extends beyond its insulating polymer foam layer 14 and inner sheet 15. Thus, the outer sheet 13 forms bearing zones 31 at the corners of the primary panel 7, which are configured to cooperate directly or indirectly with the pressure plates 32 of the primary anchoring devices 33. Furthermore, in the illustrated embodiment, blocks 34 are added to the outer sheet 13, which have a shape similar to that of the bearing zones 31, and cooperate with the pressure plates 32 to secure the primary panel 7. Each primary anchoring device 33 cooperates with four bearing zones 31, which belong to the corners of four adjacent primary panels 7, respectively. Each primary anchoring device 33 The secondary panel 7 comprises a stud 35 protruding from one of the secondary panels 3 and a hold-down plate 32 fixed to the end of the stud 35 and bearing the four bearing zones of four adjacent primary panels 7 against the secondary insulation barrier 2. The hold-down plate 32 has a bore that fits over the stud 35. A nut 36 engages the threaded end of the stud 35 to secure the hold-down plate 32. Furthermore, according to one advantageous embodiment, an elastic Belleville washer is fitted on the stud 35 between the nut 36 and the hold-down plate 32, thereby elastically securing the primary panel 7 to the secondary insulation barrier 2.

[0087] The stud 35 is fixed to the base 37, which itself is fixed to the inner sheet 11 of the secondary panel 3. To achieve this, the base 37 is provided, for example, with a thread that engages with a complementary threaded end of the stud 35. Furthermore, the inner sheet 11 of the secondary panel 3 has a cut-out in which the base 37 is accommodated. The cut-out has an inner section of a first diameter and an outer section of a second diameter larger than the first diameter so as to create a stepped shoulder. The base 37 has a shape that is complementary to the shape of the cut-out. The inner surface of the base 37 is therefore flush with the inner surface of the inner sheet 11 of the secondary panel 3 so as to form a flat support surface that supports the secondary sealing membrane 5. Furthermore, the base 37 has an outer section of a larger diameter than its inner section, the outer section of the base 37 abutting the shoulder of the cut-out. The base 37 is also bonded to the secondary panel 3.

[0088] The stud 35 also passes sealingly through an orifice formed in the secondary sealing membrane 5 .

[0089] In the embodiment shown in Fig. 12, the primary panel 7 differs from the primary panels described above in that it also comprises relief slots 39 opening on the outer surface of the primary panel 7. Advantageously, the primary panel 7 also comprises two series of relief slots 39 parallel to two opposing first edges of the primary panel and to two opposing second edges of the primary panel 7, respectively. As shown in this figure, the relief slots 39 are not arranged opposite the corrugations 17, 18, but are arranged in the middle of two parallel corrugations 17, 18. The relief slots 39 are therefore arranged to alternate with the relief slots 24. The depth of the relief slots is more than 60 mm, preferably between 115 mm and 150 mm, for example around 115 mm.

[0090] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 13, the relief slots 24 do not all have the same depth. In particular, the depth of the relief slots 24 increases towards the center of the primary panel 7 and decreases towards its edges. In other words, the central relief slot has a greater depth than the depth of the two edge relief slots extending on either side of the central relief slot. This has the effect of better distributing the stresses within each primary insulation panel 7, allowing the corrugations 17, 18 of the primary sealing membrane 8 to be more uniformly stressed. As an example, the edge relief slots may have a depth of 80 mm and the central relief slots may have a depth of 115 mm. In another example, the edge relief slots may have a depth of 115 mm and the central relief slots may have a depth of 150 mm.

[0091] 14 shows a bridging element 26 according to another embodiment. As in the previous embodiments, each recess 25 is provided with a metal mounting plate 27 for fixing the bridging element 26. The metal mounting plate 27 is fixed to the primary panel 7 by fasteners (not shown), such as rivets or screws passing through orifices 40 formed in the metal mounting plate 7.

[0092] The bridging element 26 comprises a central portion 41 and two bent edges 42, 43 which are respectively placed in grooves 44, 45 formed in each of the two metal mounting plates 27. The bridging element 26 is, for example, a bent sheet metal having a thickness of the order of 1 to 2 mm. It is made of metal.

[0093] In one embodiment, each of the recesses 25 in the primary panel 7 has a groove (not shown) that is the same shape and oriented as the corresponding grooves 44, 45 in the metal mounting plate 27. Thus, the folded edges 42, 43 of the bridging element 26 also seat in the grooves formed in the recesses 25.

[0094] At least one of the grooves 44, 45 of the two metal mounting plates 27 is inclined, i.e. not formed parallel to the adjacent edge 47, 48 of the primary panel 7 which it supports, but inclined by an angle α1, α2 in a plane perpendicular to the thickness direction relative to said edge 47, 48. In an advantageous embodiment shown in Fig. 14, the grooves 44, 45 of both metal mounting plates 27 are inclined by an angle α1, α2, respectively, relative to the adjacent edge 47, 48 of each primary panel 7. The angles α1 and α2 are oriented angles having opposite directions. Moreover, preferably, the angles α1 and α2 have the same value.

[0095] Each folded edge 42, 43 of the bridging element 26 extends in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the central portion 26 and inclined by the same angles α1 and α2 as the inclined grooves 44, 45 in which it is located relative to the edges 47, 48 of the adjacent primary panel 7 so that it can be inserted into one of the grooves 44, 45.

[0096] Additionally, the grooves 44,45 have a length greater than the width of the folded edges 42,43, thereby creating some clearance for positioning of the folded edges 42,43 within the grooves 44,45.

[0097] Such an arrangement is advantageous in that the bent edges 42, 43 can be placed in the grooves 42, 43 of the metal mounting plate 27 even if the spacing e1 between the primary panels 7 does not correspond to its nominal value, as long as it remains within the determined tolerance range. Thus, in Fig. 14, if the spacing e1 between two adjacent primary panels 7 is greater than its nominal value, the bent edges 42, 43 will be closer to the left end of the grooves 44, 45 than to their right end. Conversely, as shown in Fig. 14, the bent edges 42, 43 will be closer to the right end of the grooves 44, 45 than to their left end if the spacing e1 is less than its nominal value.

[0098] Advantageously, the angles α1 and α2 for the positioning of the folded edges 42, 43 in the grooves 44, 45 and the clearances are such that it is possible to cover a tolerance range of 1 mm to 10 mm, for example of the order of 3 mm. Advantageously, the tolerance range is centred on the nominal value of the spacing e1.

[0099] The recess 25 advantageously has a depth substantially equal to the sum of the thickness of the metal mounting plate 27 and the thickness of the central portion 41 of the bridging element 26, thereby enabling the central portion 41 of the bridging element 26 to be positioned flush with the inner surface of the primary panel 7 so as to ensure continuity of support for the primary sealing membrane 8.

[0100] The bridging element 26 is secured to the primary panel 7 such that the relative positions of the folded edges 42, 43 within the grooves 44, 45 are fixed and the folded edges 42, 43 are prevented from becoming dislodged from the grooves 44, 45. To achieve this, in the illustrated embodiment, the central portion 41 of the bridging element 26 includes an orifice 49 that is configured to receive a fastener, not shown, such as a screw or rivet, for securing the bridging element 26 to the primary panel 7. Alternatively or additionally, the bridging element 26 may be secured to the primary panel 7 by a fastener such as a screw or rivet. Bridging element 26 is welded to metal mounting plate 27. In that case, bridging element 26 is preferably welded to metal mounting plate 27 along an edge of central portion 41.

[0101] Advantageously, the surface finish of the grooves 44 , 45 and folded edges 42 , 43 is roughened to limit the shear forces applied to the fasteners securing the bridging element 26 to the primary panel 7 .

[0102] In one embodiment, not shown, the grooves 44 of the metal mounting plates 27 extending along the same edge 47 of one of the primary panels 7 are alternately inclined in one direction and then in the other direction relative to said edge 47 of the primary panel 7. In other words, the inclination of the grooves 44 of two adjacent metal mounting plates 27 along the edge 47 is reversed, so that when the spacing e1 between the primary panels 7 is greater than the nominal value, one bridging element 26 installed in the groove 44 of one metal mounting plate 27 is closer to the right end of this groove 44 and another bridging element 26 installed in the groove 44 of the other metal mounting plate 27 is closer to the left end of this groove 44.

[0103] Another embodiment, not shown, differs from the embodiment described above in connection with FIG. 14 in that the primary panel 7 does not have the metal mounting plate 27, which allows for even easier installation of the bridging element 26. The folded edges 42, 43 of the bridging element 26 are thus placed directly into the inclined grooves formed in the recess 25 of the primary panel 7. The inclined grooves formed in the recess 25 have similar characteristics to the grooves 44, 45 described above, in particular with regard to their inclination relative to the adjacent edges 47, 48 of the primary panel 7. Furthermore, the depth of the recess 25 is substantially equal to the thickness of the central portion 41 of the bridging element 26, which allows the central portion 41 of the bridging element 26 to be flush with the inner surface of the primary panel 7.

[0104] Referring to Figure 7, a cutaway view of a methane carrier 70 shows a generally prismatic sealed and insulated tank 71 integrated into the vessel's double hull 72. The wall of the tank 71 comprises a primary sealing membrane 8 arranged to be in contact with the LNG contained within the tank, a secondary sealing membrane 5 arranged between the primary sealing membrane 8 and the vessel's double hull 72, and two insulating barriers arranged respectively between the primary sealing membrane 8 and the secondary sealing membrane and between the secondary sealing membrane and the double hull 72.

[0105] In a manner known per se, a loading / unloading pipeline 73 located on the upper deck of the ship can be connected, using appropriate connectors, to a coastal or port terminal for transferring the cargo of LNG to or from the tanks 71.

[0106] 7 also shows an example of a coastal terminal with a loading / unloading station 75, a subsea pipe 76 and an onshore facility 77. The loading / unloading station 75 is a fixed offshore facility with a movable arm 74 and a tower 78 supporting the movable arm 74. The movable arm 74 supports a bundle of insulated flexible hoses 79 that can be connected to a loading / unloading pipeline 73. The orientable movable arm 74 is suitable for methane carriers of all sizes. A connecting pipe, not shown, runs inside the tower 78. The loading / unloading station 75 allows loading and unloading from the onshore facility 77 to the ship 70 or from the ship 70 to the onshore facility 77. The onshore facility 77 comprises a liquefied gas storage tank 80 and a connecting pipe 81 connected to the loading / unloading station 75 by a subsea pipe 76. The subsea pipes 76 enable the transport of liquefied gas over long distances, for example 5 km, between the loading / unloading station 75 and the onshore facility 77, thereby enabling the vessel 70 to be maintained at long distances from land during loading / unloading operations.

[0107] To generate the pressure required for transporting the liquefied gas, pumps on board the ship 70 and / or pumps provided at the onshore facility 77 and / or pumps provided at the loading / unloading station 75 are used.

[0108] Although the present invention has been described with reference to several specific embodiments, it is clear that the present invention is not limited thereto, but includes all means and combinations thereof that are technically equivalent to those described, so long as they fall within the scope of the present invention.

[0109] In the claims, any reference signs placed between parentheses shall not be construed as limiting the claim.

[0110] Although the present invention has been described with reference to several specific embodiments, it is clear that the present invention is not limited thereto, but includes all means and combinations thereof that are technically equivalent to those described, so long as they fall within the scope of the present invention.

[0111] In particular, although a tank with two insulating barriers and two sealing membranes has been described above, the invention is not limited to such a multi-layer structure and may, for example, have only one insulating barrier and only one sealing membrane.

[0112] Use of the verbs "have", "comprise" or "include" and their conjugations does not exclude the presence of elements or steps other than those stated in a claim.

[0113] In the claims, any reference signs placed between parentheses shall not be construed as limiting the claim.

Claims

1. A wall (1) of a sealed insulated tank for storing liquefied gas, comprising: At least one insulating barrier (6); a sealed membrane (8) fixed to the insulating barrier (6) and adapted to be in contact with the liquefied gas contained in the sealed insulated tank; The insulating barrier (6) comprises insulating panels (7) arranged in parallel rows and columns, Each of the insulation panels (7) has an inner surface that supports the sealing membrane (8) and is connected to adjacent insulation panels (7) by bridging elements (26); Each of the bridging elements (26) is disposed across two adjacent insulation panels (7) and is secured to the inner surface of one of the two adjacent insulation panels (7) and to the inner surface of the other of the two adjacent insulation panels (7); The insulation panels (7) are each provided with a relief slot (24) formed in the thickness direction of the wall, A wall (1), wherein each of the bridging elements (26) is fixed to one of the insulation panels (7) between an edge of the insulation panel (7) and one of the relief slots (24) adjacent to and parallel to the edge.

2. 2. The wall (1) according to claim 1, wherein the bridging element (26) is a metal plate.

3. 3. A wall (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each bridging element (26) is fixed to a recess (25) formed in the inner surface of one of the two adjacent insulation panels (7) and to a recess (25) formed in the inner surface of the other of the two adjacent insulation panels (7).

4. At least one of the bridging elements (26) comprises a central portion (41) and two bent edges (42, 43) respectively arranged at two ends of the central portion (41); Each bent edge (42; 43) is seated in a respective groove (44, 45) in one of said recesses (25), The groove has a length greater than the width of the folded edge (42, 43); 4. The wall (1) according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the two grooves (44) is inclined in a plane perpendicular to the thickness direction of the wall by an angle α1 relative to the adjacent edge of the insulation panel (7) in which the recess (25) is formed.

5. the other of the two grooves (45) is inclined in a plane perpendicular to the thickness direction of the wall by an angle α2 to the adjacent edge of the insulation panel (7) in which the recess (25) surrounding the groove (45) is formed; 5. The wall (1) according to claim 4, wherein the angles α1 and α2 are oriented angles having opposite directions to each other.

6. 6. The wall (1) according to claim 5, wherein the angles α1 and α2 have values ​​between 5° and 10°.

7. A wall (1) according to any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein each metal plate is welded to two metal mounting plates (27) respectively fixed in one of the recesses (25) of each of the two adjacent insulation panels (7).

8. 4. A wall (1) according to claim 3, wherein each metal plate is riveted into one of the recesses (25) of each of the two adjacent insulation panels (7).

9. Wall (1) according to any one of claims 2 to 8, wherein the sealing membrane (8) is welded to at least some of the metal plates.

10. The sealing membrane (8) comprises a metal sheet (16); each said metal sheet (16) has edges (20, 21, 22, 23) arranged in alignment with at least some of said metal plates, said edges (20, 21, 22, 23) forming overlapping edges or overlapping edges, respectively, which are welded to overlapping edges or overlapping edges, respectively, of adjacent metal sheets (16); 10. The wall (1) according to claim 9, wherein each of the overlapped edges is further welded to at least one of the metal plates in a position coinciding with the position of the overlapped edge.

11. The insulating panel (7) has a parallelepiped shape and has two first edges parallel to a first direction and two second edges parallel to a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, The metal sheet (16) two first edges (20, 21) parallel to the first direction, the two first edges (20, 21) having dimensions equal to or an integer multiple of the dimensions of the first edges of the insulation panel (7); two second edges (22, 23) parallel to the second direction, the two second edges (22, 23) having dimensions equal to or an integer multiple of the dimensions of the second edges of the insulation panel (7); the first edges (20, 21) of the metal sheet (16) extend along at least some of the two first edges of the insulation panel (7) so as to be located along some of the metal plates; 11. The wall (1) according to claim 10, wherein the second edge (22, 23) of the metal sheet (16) extends along at least some of the second edges of the insulation panel (7) so as to lie along some of the metal plates.

12. the two first edges (20, 21) of the metal sheet (16) have a dimension that is an integer multiple of the first edges of the insulation panel (7) such that the metal sheet (16) completely covers some of the metal plates; 12. The wall (1) according to claim 11, wherein the metal sheet (16) is welded to the fully covered metal plate by plug welding (28) or by transmission welding.

13. The wall (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the bridging element (26) is flush with the inner surface of the insulating panel (7) so as to ensure continuity of support for the sealing membrane (8).

14. A wall (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the bridging element (25) projects beyond the inner surface of the insulating panel (7) towards the sealing membrane (8).

15. A wall (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the sealing membrane (8) has two series of corrugations perpendicular to each other.

16. 16. The wall (1) according to claim 15, wherein the relief slots (24) of the insulation panel (7) are formed opposite each of the corrugations (17, 18) of the two series of corrugations of the sealing membrane (8).

17. The inner sheet of the insulation panel (7) has four edges each having a plurality of recesses (25), 17. A wall (1) according to claim 15 or 16, wherein the recesses (25) are arranged on either side of each of the relief slots (24).

18. A wall (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the number and depth of the relief slots in the insulation panel (7) are set such that the tensile stiffness of the insulation panel in a first direction and a second direction perpendicular to the thickness direction of the wall and parallel to the rows and columns of the insulation panel (7), respectively, is lower than the stiffness of the bridging elements in the first direction and the second direction, respectively.

19. 19. A wall (1) according to claim 18, wherein the relief slots (24) have a depth in the thickness direction of the wall of greater than 60 mm.

20. The insulating panels each include: a first series of relief slots formed on the inner surface of the insulation panel (7) and parallel to two opposing first edges (20, 21) of the insulation panel (7); a second series of relief slots formed on the inner surface of the insulation panel (7) and parallel to two opposing second edges (20, 21) of the insulation panel (7); A wall (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said relief slots (24) have a depth in the thickness direction of the wall of between 80mm and 150mm, preferably between 115mm and 150mm.

21. At least one of the two series of relief slots has at least a central relief slot and two edge relief slots extending on either side of the central relief slot; 21. The wall (1) according to claim 20, wherein the depth of the central relief slot is greater than the depth of each of the two edge relief slots.

22. The relief slots (24) are formed in the inner surface of the insulation panel (7); The insulation panel (7) further comprises an outer relief slot (39); The wall (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 21, wherein the outer relief slots (39) are formed on the outer surface of the insulation panel (7) parallel to the relief slots (24) formed on the inner surface and are alternately arranged with the relief slots formed on the inner surface in a direction perpendicular to the outer relief slots (39).

23. The sealing membrane (8) is a primary sealing membrane and the insulating barrier (6) is a primary insulating barrier; The wall (1) a secondary insulating barrier (2) supported on a support structure (4); 23. The wall (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a secondary sealing membrane (5) fixed to the secondary insulating barrier (2) and arranged between the secondary insulating barrier (2) and the primary insulating barrier.

24. A sealed, insulated tank comprising a wall (1) according to any one of the preceding claims.

25. 25. A vessel (70) for transporting a fluid, comprising a hull (72) and a sealed, insulated tank (71) according to claim 24, disposed within said hull.

26. A vessel (70) according to claim 25; The sealed insulated tank (71) installed in the hull of the ship is installed on a floating or land-based an insulated pipeline (73, 79, 76, 81) arranged to connect to a storage facility (77); A transfer system for transferring a fluid comprising: a pump for sending a fluid through the insulated pipeline from the floating or on-shore storage facility to the sealed insulated tank of the ship or from the sealed insulated tank of the ship to the floating or on-shore storage facility.

27. 26. A method for loading and unloading a vessel (70) according to claim 25, comprising the steps of: The method of claim 1, wherein fluid is transported via an insulated pipeline (73, 79, 76, 81) from a floating or onshore storage facility (77) to the sealed, insulated tank (71) of the vessel or from the sealed, insulated tank (71) of the vessel to the floating or onshore storage facility (77).

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