Non-vacuum cargo storage system

Abstract

This disclosure provides a liquid gas transport container. The liquid gas transport container comprises a first membrane defining a cavity. A first insulation layer is disposed around the first membrane. The first insulation layer comprises a first closed-cell insulation material. The first closed-cell insulation material comprises a first syntactic foam. A substrate is disposed around the first insulation layer. A hull is disposed around the substrate.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] Cross-reference of related applications This application claims priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 63 / 579,899, filed on 31 August 2023, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0002] Embodiments of this disclosure generally relate to cryogenic containers for storing liquid hydrogen. [Background technology]

[0003] A membrane-type transport container for liquid natural gas (LNG) is formed from a first membrane placed on a first insulating layer. The first membrane is made of metal panels having one or more corrugated sections, and the membrane can be as thin as 0.7 millimeters (mm). The panels of the first membrane are joined by welds. The total length of the welds in a LNG transport container can exceed 100 km. Even if the quality of the welds is controlled to be very good, there is a possibility of leakage throughout the membrane. A method to manage this leakage has been to circulate an inert gas, such as nitrogen, between the first membrane and the first insulating layer in the passages formed by the corrugated sections. The inert gas acts to push away any leaks of natural gas, thereby allowing for the detection and removal of natural gas leaks.

[0004] Hydrogen is an alternative energy source to conventional fossil fuels, such as liquid natural gas. For example, some forms of transportation, such as cars, are powered by hydrogen fuel cells. Hydrogen is also used in other industrial applications, such as the Haber-Bosch process for producing fertilizer. The demand for hydrogen is increasing, partly due to the development of more efficient hydrogen-powered vehicles and machinery, and their adoption by consumers, as well as the need to transport and / or store hydrogen in industrial quantities.

[0005] Hydrogen gas has a low density. To efficiently transport industrial quantities of hydrogen gas, it is liquefied. However, liquefied hydrogen is extremely cold, which puts stress on the transport containers. For example, the boiling point of liquefied hydrogen at 1 atmosphere is approximately -253°C (20°K). Therefore, liquid hydrogen is usually transported under conditions close to ambient pressure and a temperature of approximately 20 Kelvin.

[0006] In the transport of liquid hydrogen, insulation is used to reduce heat transfer between the liquid hydrogen and the ship's hull. Without insulation, liquid hydrogen rapidly undergoes a phase transition to gaseous hydrogen (commonly referred to as a boil-off), requiring its release from the tank to avoid excessive pressure increases, which would lead to potential safety concerns.

[0007] Currently, liquid hydrogen must be transported in independent, vacuum-insulated tanks, such as generally spherical tanks. However, it is preferable to use membrane-type transport containers for liquid hydrogen, as they can fill the ship's hull more efficiently than independent tanks. Unfortunately, in membrane-type transport containers for liquid hydrogen, nitrogen condenses and / or solidifies, making it impossible to control leaks with nitrogen gas.

[0008] Therefore, what is needed in this field is an improved method for insulating liquid hydrogen gas transport containers. [Overview of the project]

[0009] This disclosure relates, in general, to cryogenic containers for storing liquid hydrogen.

[0010] In one embodiment, the disclosure provides a liquid gas transport container. The liquid gas transport container comprises a first membrane defining a cavity. A first insulation layer is disposed around the first membrane. The first insulation layer includes a first closed-cell insulation material. The first closed-cell insulation material includes a first syntactic foam. A substrate is disposed around the first insulation layer. A hull is disposed around the substrate.

[0011] In another embodiment, the disclosure provides a liquid gas transport container. The liquid gas transport container comprises a first membrane defining a cavity. A first insulation layer is disposed around the first membrane. The first insulation layer comprises a first closed-cell insulation material. A second membrane is disposed around the first insulation layer. A first intermediate shell is disposed around the first insulation layer. The first intermediate shell is disposed between the first membrane and the first insulation layer. The first intermediate shell is disposed between the first insulation layer and the second membrane. A base material is disposed around the second membrane. A hull is disposed around the base material.

[0012] To enable a more detailed understanding of the features of this disclosure described above, a more detailed description of this disclosure, which is briefly outlined above, can be obtained by referring to embodiments, some of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. However, it should be noted that since this disclosure allows for other embodiments having equivalent effects, the accompanying drawings illustrate only exemplary embodiments and should therefore not be considered limiting. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] This is a schematic side cross-sectional view of a liquid hydrogen transport container according to an embodiment described herein. [Figure 2A] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the first membrane and the first thermal insulation layer forming the liquid hydrogen storage container shown in Figure 1, according to an embodiment described herein. [Figure 2B]It is a schematic cross-sectional view of a first membrane and a first heat insulating layer forming the liquid hydrogen storage container of Fig. 1 according to an embodiment described in the present specification. MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0014] For ease of understanding, where possible, the same reference signs are used to indicate the same elements common to a plurality of drawings. It is contemplated that elements and features of one embodiment may be beneficially incorporated into other embodiments without further recitation.

[0015] The present disclosure relates generally to cryogenic containers for transporting liquid hydrogen. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a cryogenic container having one or more heat insulating layers that can maintain heat insulation properties after being exposed to hydrogen and improve the efficiency of transporting large volumes of liquid hydrogen. The transport container comprises a membrane provided with one or more corrugations. A first heat insulating layer is bonded to the first membrane, and the first heat insulating layer comprises a material with low hydrogen permeability. Advantageously, the cryogenic transport container of the present disclosure can have higher transport efficiency compared to a vacuum insulated spherical transport container, and in this case, the cryogenic transport container of the present disclosure can fill the space within the hull more effectively than a spherical container.

[0016] Hydrogen gas has a thermal conductivity up to 7 times higher than that of nitrogen gas, and due to the small size of hydrogen molecules, it can easily diffuse into heat insulating materials. When the heat insulating material is a closed-cell foam, the presence of hydrogen in the void spaces of the foam can increase the effective thermal conductivity of the closed-cell foam material. When hydrogen permeates through the membrane and the first heat insulating layer of the membrane-type transport container is exposed to hydrogen, the heat insulation efficiency is impaired, which increases heat transfer into the hydrogen product, resulting in product loss as a result of boil-off, and can cause the temperature within the hull to become too low, which in turn can cause unacceptable embrittlement of steel materials.

[0017] The transport container of this disclosure can insulate liquid hydrogen without hydrogen permeating through the insulation layer, thereby significantly reducing the cost of transporting large quantities of liquid hydrogen compared to conventional liquid hydrogen transport containers, such as spherical liquid hydrogen transport containers. In the embodiments described herein, the liquid hydrogen product is stored within a transport volume. The transport volume is the space defined by the inner surface of the first membrane. The inner surface of the first insulation layer is bonded to the outer surface of the first membrane. The inner surface of the second membrane is bonded to the outer surface of the first insulation layer. The inner surface of the second insulation layer is bonded to the outer surface of the second membrane. The outer surface of the second insulation layer is attached to a substrate 118.

[0018] The first and / or second insulation layer comprises a closed-cell foam. The closed-cell foam may include polymer closed-cell foams, such as polyurethane foam, polyurea foam, polyethylene foam, polypropylene foam, polystyrene foam, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments, the first and / or second insulation layer may include a multi-cell glass insulation material. The closed-cell foam may include syntactic foam, in which case the voids in the foam cells within the syntactic foam are formed by perlite and / or glass microspheres, such as hollow microspheres, within a polymer substrate. Without being constrained by theory, the permeability of the first and / or second insulation layer can be reduced by the permeability of the first and / or second insulation layer, thereby reducing the permeation of hydrogen into the first and / or second insulation layer.

[0019] The first heat insulating layer and / or the second heat insulating layer may be surrounded by an intermediate shell. The intermediate shell may be substantially impermeable, thereby preventing hydrogen and / or other gases from permeating through the first heat insulating layer and / or the second heat insulating layer. For example, the first heat insulating layer and the second heat insulating layer may be surrounded by an intermediate shell, which reduces thermal conductivity caused by hydrogen permeation and increases the efficiency of cryogenic transportation. In some embodiments, the first heat insulating layer and / or the second heat insulating layer may comprise a plurality of closed-cell foam components, for example, closed-cell foam blocks. Each of the plurality of closed-cell foam components may be surrounded by an intermediate shell.

[0020] The heat insulating layer structures described in the present specification may be used in any application of storing or transporting cryogenic liquids, such as LNG carriers, cargo storage systems, transport containers, pipes, or combinations thereof. For example, the heat insulating layer structures described in the present specification may be used for transporting liquid helium or higher temperature liquids. Although a polygonal liquid gas storage container is illustrated, the heat insulating layers, membranes, and shell structures described herein can also be used for spherical transport containers, cylindrical transport containers, or transport containers of other shapes.

[0021] Figure 1 shows a schematic side cross-sectional view of a liquid gas transport container 100. The liquid gas transport container 100 includes a first membrane 102 that forms a cavity 104. The cavity 104 is formed by an inner surface 106 of the first membrane 102. The cavity 104 is configured to hold liquid hydrogen or another liquid gas. The cavity 104 has a volume exceeding 4000m 3 , such as a volume exceeding 5000m 3 , such as a volume exceeding 6000m 3 , such as a volume exceeding 6500m 3 , such as a volume exceeding 7000m 3 , such as a volume exceeding approximately 10000m 3 , such as a volume exceeding approximately 50000m 3 , such as a volume exceeding approximately 75000m 3 , such as a volume exceeding approximately 100000m 3Volumes exceeding 3000m 3 It may have a volume exceeding 50,000 m³. In some embodiments, the volume is about 50,000 m³. 3 ~about 100000m 3 Approximately 5000m 3 ~about 250000m 3 or greater. The first membrane 102 is formed of a cryogenic metal material such as cryogenic steel or another cryogenic metal alloy that can be used at a temperature of about 20 Kelvin. For example, the first membrane 102 may include cryogenic steel such as 304L stainless steel. The first membrane may have a thickness of about 0.1 mm to about 10 mm, for example, about 0.1 mm to about 5 mm, about 0.5 mm to about 5 mm, or about 1 mm to about 5 mm. The first membrane has one or more corrugated portions as described herein.

[0022] The first thermal insulation layer 108 is formed around the first membrane 102. The first thermal insulation layer 108 is defined by the first membrane 102 and the second membrane 110. The first thermal insulation layer 108 is wound around the first membrane 102 and positioned around the first membrane 102 so as to cover the outer surface 112 of the first membrane 102. The first thermal insulation layer 108 is attached to the outer surface 112 of the first membrane 102. The first thermal insulation layer 108 can be attached to the outer surface 112 of the first membrane 102 by one or more mechanical adhesives, such as welding, and / or one or more chemical adhesives. For example, the first thermal insulation layer 108 is chemically bonded to the outer surface 112, in which case the chemical bonding may include forming an adhesive using an epoxy adhesive and / or forming an adhesive by a reaction between the first thermal insulation layer 108 and the outer surface 112. As a further example, the first insulation layer 108 is mechanically bonded to the outer surface 112 by one or more welded joints that fix the first insulation layer 108 to the outer surface 112.

[0023] The first insulation layer 108 may include a plurality of closed-cell foam components, for example, a closed-cell foam block. Each of the plurality of closed-cell foam components independently includes a closed-cell insulation material. The closed-cell insulation material may include one or more closed-cell foams and / or multi-cell glass insulation materials. In some embodiments, the closed-cell foam may include a foam containing one or more of polyethylene, polyurea, polyurethane, polyisocyanurate, polypropylene and / or polystyrene.

[0024] Closed-cell foam is formed by small chambers having thin polymer membranes with a polygonal shape, ranging in thickness from approximately 0.01 mm to 1.0 mm, such as approximately 0.01 mm to 0.5 mm, approximately 0.05 mm to 0.1 mm, or approximately 0.07 mm to 0.1 mm. The chambers are filled with a gas, such as a leavening agent, which is used to expand the chambers within the foam. For example, the leavening agent may include unsaturated organic compounds such as hydrofluoroolefins. At room temperature, atmospheric gases such as nitrogen can diffuse within the chambers, and the leavening agent is released to the outside during this process.

[0025] Closed-cell foams include syntactic foams. Syntactic foams can contain perlite, glass microspheres, hollow microspheres, and / or glass bubbles within a polymer material substrate. Without being constrained by theory, the permeability of the closed-cell foam can be reduced, thereby reducing the permeation of hydrogen to the first insulating layer. In addition, and without being constrained by theory, the perlite, glass microspheres, hollow microspheres, and / or glass bubbles can reduce thermal shrinkage, thereby reducing the pressure difference between the cavity 104 and the outer surface 112 of the first membrane 102. When the outer surface 112 of the first membrane 102 is cooled, the gas in the small chambers of the first insulating layer 108 adjacent to the outer surface 112 is also cooled. The gas may condense and / or solidify. When the gas condenses and / or solidifies, the pressure inside the chamber decreases, creating a pressure difference across the entire chamber wall of the closed-cell foam. The pressure difference can be approximately 0.01 atmospheres to 1 atmosphere, for example, approximately 0.01 atmospheres to 0.5 atmospheres, approximately 0.01 atmospheres to 0.1 atmospheres, or approximately 0.01 atmospheres to 0.05 atmospheres. If the chamber wall of the closed-cell foam permeates the gas, the gas will diffuse from the surrounding higher-pressure chambers to the lower-pressure chamber in question and may condense. This process can continue until the chambers adjacent to the outer surface 112 are filled with substantially condensed and / or frozen gas. If the outer surface 112 is heated during maintenance or inspection, the condensed and / or solidified gas will vaporize, potentially causing the chambers to rupture.

[0026] To avoid damage, the closed-cell foam can be cooled to extremely low temperatures, thereby reducing its permeability and mitigating and / or preventing gas diffusion into the small cells of the closed-cell foam. Without being constrained by theory, reducing the permeability of the closed-cell foam reduces the possibility of rupture when the closed-cell foam is heated. Furthermore, without being constrained by theory, the first insulating layer 108 can mitigate problems caused by damage to the insulating performance when the first membrane 102 is heated.

[0027] The first insulating layer 108 is filled with a first gas, such as an expander, nitrogen, or a nitrogen-containing gas mixture. For example, the first insulating layer 108 may initially be filled with a first gas, which is hydrofluoroolefin, and in this case, after a period of time, e.g., seconds, minutes, hours, days, years, or decades, the first insulating layer 108 may be filled with a second gas, which is nitrogen. In some examples, the first insulating layer 108 may be filled with air of a density similar to that found in ambient air. The first insulating layer 108 is used adjacent to the first membrane 102, and because the first insulating layer 108 is sufficiently thick, the temperature at the outer surface 114 of the first insulating layer 108 exceeds the condensation temperature of the gas in the second insulating layer 116, e.g., about 77 Kelvin (the temperature at which nitrogen boils or liquefies).

[0028] The closed-cell insulation material forming the first insulation layer 108 has a cell size (diameter) of less than approximately 1 μm to approximately 1 cm, such as 0.1 mm to approximately 1.0 mm. For example, the pore diameter of the closed-cell insulation material can be approximately 10 μm to approximately 100 μm. The first insulation layer 108 has a first thermal conductivity of approximately 0.0001 W / (m·K) to approximately 0.050 W / (m·K), such as approximately 0.010 W / (m·K) to approximately 0.040 W / (m·K), approximately 0.010 W / (m·K) to approximately 0.030 W / (m·K), approximately 0.015 W / (m·K) to approximately 0.030 W / (m·K), and approximately 0.020 W / (m·K) to approximately 0.030 W / (m·K). The first insulation layer 108 has a thickness of approximately 1 mm to 500 mm, for example, approximately 1 mm to 450 mm, approximately 100 mm to 450 mm, approximately 250 mm to 400 mm, or approximately 250 mm to 350 mm. The first insulation layer has a density of approximately 15 kg / m 3 ~about 200kg / m 3 For example, approximately 20 kg / m 3 ~Approx. 150kg / m 3 , about 30kg / m 3 ~about 100kg / m 3 , about 40kg / m 3 ~about 60kg / m 3 It has a density of .

[0029] The second membrane 110 is formed of a metallic material, such as a cryogenic metal or metal alloy. The second membrane may include cryogenic steel, cryogenic alloy, metallic steel, and / or metal alloy. For example, the second membrane 110 may include a metal alloy such as an iron-nickel alloy. The iron-nickel alloy may contain about 30 wt% to about 40 wt% iron and about 60 wt% to 70 wt% nickel. The second membrane 110 may have a thickness of about 0.1 mm to about 10 mm, for example, about 0.1 mm to about 5 mm, about 0.5 mm to about 5 mm, or about 0.6 mm to about 0.8 mm. The second membrane 110 has one or more corrugated portions and / or protrusions that can improve its flexibility, thereby allowing it to bend due to differences in thermal expansion during cooling and / or heating. In addition and / or, in order to avoid buckling of the second membrane, the first insulating layer and / or the first membrane, one or more corrugated portions and / or protrusions may be provided to allow an inert gas to circulate through the second membrane to maintain a suitable pressure.

[0030] The second insulation layer 116 is positioned between the second membrane 110 and the substrate material 118. The second insulation layer 116 is positioned on the outer surface 120 of the second membrane 110 and the inner surface 122 of the substrate material 118. The second insulation layer 116 may include a closed-cell foam material similar to that of the first insulation layer 108. The second insulation layer 116 may include a different closed-cell foam from that of the first insulation layer 108. The second insulation layer 116 may have a higher thermal conductivity than that of the first insulation layer 108. The second insulation layer 116 may include a plurality of closed-cell foam components, for example, a closed-cell foam block. Each of the plurality of closed-cell foam components independently includes a closed-cell insulation material. The closed-cell insulation material may include one or more closed-cell foams and / or multi-cell glass insulation materials. In some embodiments, the closed-cell foam may include a foam comprising one or more of polyethylene, polyurea, polyurethane, polyisocyanurate, polypropylene, and / or polystyrene.

[0031] The second insulation layer 116 is filled with a second gas, which may be a single gas or a combination of gases. The second gas may be identical to the first gas. The second gas may be more than 50% nitrogen, more than 50% argon, or a combination of nitrogen and argon, measured by partial pressure. In some embodiments, the combination of second gases may be one or a combination of more than 70% nitrogen and argon, one or a combination of more than 80% nitrogen and argon, one or a combination of more than 90% nitrogen and argon, or one or a combination of more than 60% nitrogen and argon. The density of nitrogen and / or argon in the first insulation layer 108 may be maintained by exposing the first insulation layer 108 to a gas source of nitrogen and / or argon. In some examples, dry air may be used. Nitrogen and / or argon gas may be used within the second insulating layer 116 while forming the second insulating layer 116 on the outer surface 120 of the second membrane 110.

[0032] The second insulation layer 116 has a second thermal conductivity of approximately 0.010 W / (m·K) to approximately 0.100 W / (m·K). The thermal conductivity of the first insulation layer 108 may be one-third of the thermal conductivity of the second insulation layer 116, one-quarter of the thermal conductivity of the second insulation layer 116, one-fifth of the thermal conductivity of the second insulation layer 116, one-seventh of the thermal conductivity of the second insulation layer 116, one-tenth of the thermal conductivity of the second insulation layer 116, or one-half of the thermal conductivity of the second insulation layer 116.

[0033] Optionally, the temperature of the outer surface 114 of the first insulating layer 108 exceeds the condensation temperature of the gas or mixture of gases in the second insulating layer 116 to avoid runaway condensation and cryogenic pumping. For example, the outer surface 114 may exceed the condensation temperature of the gas in the expanding agent and / or the gas in the second insulating layer 116.

[0034] Optionally, the pressure may be maintained below a vacuum and / or substantially above a perfect vacuum. For example, the absolute pressure within the first adiabatic layer 108 is approximately 1 × 10⁻⁶. -6 ~Approx. 1atm, approx. 1×10 -3 ~approximately 0.1 atm, approximately 0.01~approximately 0.1 atm, etc., approximately 1 x 10 -6 It may be approximately 2 atm. As a further example, the absolute pressure inside the second insulating layer 116 is approximately 1 × 10⁻⁶. -6 Atmospheric pressure ~ approximately 1.5 atmospheres, approximately 1 x 10⁻⁶ -3 Atmospheric pressure ~approximately 1.25 atmospheres, approximately 0.01 atmospheres ~approximately 1.2 atmospheres, approximately 0.1 atmospheres ~approximately 1.1 atmospheres, approximately 0.95 atmospheres ~approximately 1.05 atmospheres, approximately 1 atmosphere, approximately 1 x 10 -6 The atmospheric pressure can be maintained at approximately 2 atmospheres.

[0035] In some embodiments that can be combined with other embodiments, the absolute pressure within the first insulating layer 108 may be about 1.0 atmospheres at its first surface, but near the first membrane 102, the pressure may be less than about 0.2 atmospheres, about 1 × 10⁻⁶ atmospheres. -6 The pressure decreases to less than atmospheric pressure. In some embodiments that can be combined with other embodiments, the absolute pressure within the second insulating layer 116 may be about 1.0 atmosphere at its first surface, but near the second membrane 110, the pressure is less than about 0.2 atmospheres, about 1 × 10⁻⁶. -3 The pressure decreases to less than atmospheric pressure. The absolute pressure near the first membrane 102 and / or the second membrane 110 may be controlled by adjusting the vacuum across the entire corrugated section described herein. In some embodiments that can be combined with other embodiments, the absolute pressure within the first insulating layer 108 and / or the second insulating layer 116 may be constant across the entire membrane, in which case the absolute pressure is about 1 × 10⁻⁶. -6 It can be around 0.1 atm.

[0036] The substrate material 118 may include a substrate adhesive portion. The substrate adhesive portion may be bonded to the second insulation layer 116. The substrate adhesive portion may include one or more support structures. The support structures can provide stability to the substrate material 118. Without being constrained by theory, the substrate material 118 can support the second insulation layer 116 such that the second insulation layer 116 remains substantially uniform in shape.

[0037] The outer surface 124 of the substrate material 118 is in contact with the hull 128. The hull 128 may include the hull of a container, such as an LNG container. The hull 128 includes an inner surface 130 and an outer surface 132. The inner surface 130 of the hull 128 is in contact with the outer surface 124 of the substrate material 118. The outer surface 132 of the hull 128 is in contact with the surrounding environment, such as water, air, and / or other surrounding media.

[0038] Conduit 134 extends into the cavity 104 and through each of the first membrane 102, the first insulation layer 108, the second membrane 110, the second insulation layer 116, the substrate 118, and the hull 128. Conduit 134 may be a pipe or tube extending into the cavity 104 for filling or draining liquid hydrogen into the cavity 104. Conduit 134 is positioned so that its open end is inside the cavity 104, while the other end of conduit 134 is connected to a hydrogen source 136 located outside the body of the liquid gas transport container 100. The hydrogen source 136 may include a pump or condenser and one or more supply lines leading to various other hydrogen sources. Although only a single conduit is shown, it should be understood that more than one conduit may be included, such as a filling conduit, a draining conduit, a boil-off gas exhaust conduit, and other conduits of the option. In some examples, the filling conduit and the boil-off conduit may pass through the top, while the extraction conduit may pass through the top or bottom. Other arrangements are also possible.

[0039] Referring here to Figure 2A, a schematic side cross-sectional view of a liquid gas container 200A having a first membrane 102 positioned on a first thermal insulation layer 108 is shown. The first membrane 102 comprises one or more corrugated portions 202. One or more corrugated portions 202 may be welded integrally to form the first membrane 102. One or more corrugated portions may be lifted to form a membrane cavity 204 between the outer surface 112 of the first membrane 102 and the membrane support layer 206. The membrane cavity 204 may be placed under vacuum and / or filled with one or more gases, such as argon, nitrogen, helium, or a combination thereof, so that the gas can condense and thus generate a vacuum. Without being constrained by theory, the membrane cavity 204 placed under vacuum prevents hydrogen from permeating the first thermal insulation layer 108, thereby maintaining the efficiency of heat conduction of the first thermal insulation layer 108. In addition, and without being bound by theory, one or more gases may fill the membrane cavity 204 to generate positive pressure relative to the first membrane 102, thereby reducing and / or preventing the permeation of hydrogen through one or more corrugated portions 202.

[0040] The membrane support layer 206 may include a structural material configured to provide a horizontal surface to the first membrane 102. For example, the membrane support layer 206 may include a woody material, a polymer material, a metal material, a ceramic material, or a combination thereof. For example, the membrane support layer 206 may include wood, such as plywood. The membrane support layer 206 includes at least a recess 208. The recess 208 is located between the first corrugated portion and the second corrugated portion and may be positioned beneath the first membrane 102. The recess 208 may be filled with a metal material 210. The metal material 210 may include a ductile metal, such as a metal suitable for welding. For example, ductile metals may include stainless steel, aluminum, metal alloys, iron, nickel, copper, or a combination thereof. For example, ductile metals may include metal alloys such as iron-nickel alloys. Iron-nickel alloys can contain approximately 30 wt% to 40 wt% iron and approximately 60 wt% to 70 wt% nickel.

[0041] The membrane support layer 206 is located on the first insulating layer 108. The first insulating layer 108 and / or the second insulating layer 116 may contain a plurality of microspheres 212, e.g., glass microspheres, hollow microspheres, and / or glass bubbles. The plurality of microspheres 312 may have an average microsphere diameter of about 1 micrometer (μm) to about 200 μm, for example, about 1 μm to about 100 μm, about 5 μm to about 100 μm, or about 50 μm to about 80 μm. Without being constrained by theory, the plurality of microspheres 212 can reduce the permeability of the first insulating layer 108 and / or the second insulating layer 116, thereby minimizing and / or eliminating the permeability of hydrogen into the plurality of microspheres 212.

[0042] The first thermal insulation layer 108 may be fixed to the second membrane 110 by one or more fastening devices 214. The one or more fastening devices 214 may include mechanical fasteners, such as screws, rivets, pins, clasps, or a combination thereof.

[0043] Figure 2A or Figure 2B shows a schematic side cross-sectional view of the first membrane 102 and the first insulation layer 108, but any membranes and insulation layers may be arranged similarly. For example, the second membrane 110, the second insulation layer 116, and the base material 118 may be arranged and / or constructed in the same manner as shown in Figure 2A or Figure 2B.

[0044] Optionally, the liquid gas container 200B includes an intermediate shell 216 as shown in Figure 2B. Depending on the embodiment and the type of insulating material used in one or both of the first insulating layer 108 and the second insulating layer 116, the intermediate shell 216 may be an impermeable membrane such as a metal or a non-metal. In some examples, when an impermeable membrane is used as the intermediate shell, closed-cell foam and / or open-cell foam may be used as the first insulating layer 108.

[0045] The intermediate shell 216 is an impermeable membrane so that gas or liquid cannot pass through it, but the intermediate shell 216 is still bendable and flexible so as to maintain contact with the first insulating layer 108 and / or the second insulating layer 116. The intermediate shell 216 may be impermeable at temperatures such as about 60 Kelvin to about 90 Kelvin, about 70 Kelvin to about 90 Kelvin, about 75 Kelvin to about 85 Kelvin, and about 50 Kelvin to about 100 Kelvin. The intermediate shell 216 is impermeable because, at least in part, its permeability is low enough to be a predetermined level of permeability for use with the storage container. Without being constrained by theory, the permeability may be low enough to prevent and / or reduce the permeation of gas, such as hydrogen, into the first insulating layer and / or the second insulating layer.

[0046] In embodiments where the intermediate shell 216 is an impermeable membrane, the intermediate shell 216 may be one or a combination of epoxy, polyethylene terephthalate (Mylar), aluminum-deposited polyethylene terephthalate (aluminum-deposited Mylar), polypropylene, polyimide, polyetherimide, polyetheretherketone, or various metal foils. Other materials are also conceivable but are not explicitly listed herein. The intermediate shell 216 can withstand 500 kg / mm³ at a temperature of about 77 Kelvin. 2 Larger than 600 kg / mm 2 Larger than 700 kg / mm 2 Larger than 400 kg / mm 2 It has a higher modulus of elasticity. The membrane may have a thickness of about 0.1 mm to about 10 mm, for example, about 0.1 mm to about 8 mm, about 0.5 mm to about 5 mm, or about 1 mm to about 3 mm. Without being constrained by theory, a membrane thickness of about 0.1 mm to about 10 mm may allow the membrane to bend so that cracks and fissures do not occur when covering the first insulating layer 108 and / or the second insulating layer 116. The modulus of elasticity allows the membrane to bend together with the first insulating layer 108 and / or the second insulating layer 116, because the first insulating layer 108 and / or the first membrane 102 contract and expand during cooling and heating of the first insulating layer 108 and / or the first membrane 102. The membrane also helps to shield the first insulation layer 108 from the second insulation layer 116, and the second insulation layer 116 from the substrate material 118. Therefore, even if gaps or cracks exist within the first insulation layer 108, the effect of the low-temperature pumping action may be reduced or eliminated by the presence of the membrane. By using a flexible membrane intermediate shell 216, it may become even possible to use additional materials such as open-cell foam as part of the first insulation layer 108.

[0047] The intermediate shell 216 may be formed from a material that is not self-supporting or is otherwise flexible. The first insulation layer 108 and / or the second insulation layer 116 may be self-supporting layers. In some embodiments, the first insulation layer 108 and / or the second insulation layer 116 may be the intermediate shell 216 when the intermediate shell 216 is an impermeable membrane. In such examples, the first insulation layer 108 has sufficient structural rigidity to support the pressure applied to the second insulation layer 116 and / or the second membrane 110 by the gas. A rigid closed-cell foam may be an example of a self-supporting material that can be used in the first insulation layer 108 and / or the second insulation layer 108. The insulating material of the first insulating layer 108 and / or the second insulating layer 116 may have a compressive strength of about 14 psi to about 100 psi, for example, about 14 psi to about 90 psi, about 20 psi to about 80 psi, or about 30 psi to about 70 psi, in order to support loads transmitted through the impermeable membrane from both the pressure difference and any force applied by the first insulating layer 108, the second insulating layer 116, the first membrane 102, and / or the second membrane 110.

[0048] The inner surface 218 of the intermediate shell 216 may be bonded to the first insulating layer 108 and / or the second insulating layer 116 using an insulating adhesive portion 220. The insulating adhesive portion 220 may include polymer adhesives, epoxy adhesives, synthetic adhesives, thermally conductive adhesives, moisture-bonding adhesives, contact pressure adhesives, and / or acrylate adhesives. For example, the insulating adhesive portion 220 may include a cryogenic epoxy adhesive. Without being constrained by theory, a cryogenic epoxy adhesive can further prevent gas from permeating the insulating adhesive portion, thereby reducing and / or preventing hydrogen from permeating into the insulating layers, for example, the first insulating layer 108 and / or the second insulating layer 116. The insulating adhesive portion 220 can chemically bond the first insulating layer 108 to the inner surface 218 of the intermediate shell 216 and / or the second insulating layer 116 to the inner surface 218 of the intermediate shell 216. Chemical bonding may include forming a bond through a reaction between the first insulating layer 108 and the inner surface 218 of the intermediate shell 216.

[0049] The outer surface 222 of the intermediate shell 216 may be bonded to the first membrane 102, the membrane support layer 206, and / or the second membrane 110 using a membrane bonding portion 224. The membrane bonding portion 224 may be similar to the insulating bonding portion 220. The membrane bonding portion 224 may be different from the insulating bonding portion 220. The membrane bonding portion 224 may include polymer adhesives, epoxy adhesives, synthetic adhesives, thermally conductive adhesives, moisture-bonding adhesives, contact pressure adhesives, and / or acrylate adhesives. For example, the membrane bonding portion 224 may include a cryogenic epoxy adhesive. Without being constrained by theory, a cryogenic epoxy adhesive can further prevent gas from permeating the insulating bonding portion, thereby reducing and / or preventing hydrogen from permeating into the insulating layers, for example, the first insulating layer 108 and / or the second insulating layer 116. The membrane bonding portion 224 can chemically bond the intermediate shell 216 to the membrane support layer 206, the first membrane 102, and / or the second membrane 110. Chemical bonding may include forming a bond through a reaction between the intermediate shell 216, the membrane support layer 206, the first membrane 102, and / or the second membrane 110.

[0050] The intermediate shell 216 may be bonded to the sidewalls of the first insulation layer 108 and / or the second insulation layer 116. For example, the intermediate shell 216 may be bonded to the sidewall of one of the closed-cell foam components of a plurality of closed-cell foam components forming the first insulation layer 108 and / or the second insulation layer 116, for example, the sidewall of a closed-cell foam block. The intermediate shell 216 may be bonded to the sidewall using a sidewall adhesive portion. The sidewall adhesive portion may be similar to the insulation adhesive portion 220 and / or the membrane adhesive portion 224. The sidewall adhesive portion may be different from the membrane adhesive portion 224 and / or the insulation adhesive portion 220. The sidewall adhesive portion may include polymer adhesives, epoxy adhesives, synthetic adhesives, thermally conductive adhesives, moisture-bonding adhesives, contact pressure adhesives, and / or acrylate adhesives. For example, the sidewall adhesive portion may include a cryogenic epoxy adhesive. The sidewall adhesive portion can be chemically bonded to the intermediate shell 216 and / or the first insulating layer 108 and / or the second insulating layer 116. Chemical bonding may include forming a bond by a reaction between the intermediate shell 216 and the first insulating layer 108 and / or the second insulating layer 116.

[0051] The embodiments described herein enable better and more reliable devices for insulating liquid gas transport containers, such as liquid natural gas (LNG) carriers, cargo storage systems, transport vessels, pipes, or combinations thereof. The embodiments described herein are more economical and offer greater transport efficiency. The disclosed embodiments reduce gas diffusion into the insulating layers, e.g., a first insulating layer and / or a second insulating layer, while improving volumetric capacity, thereby maintaining reduced thermal conductivity and improved cryogenic transport capability. Advantageously, the cryogenic transport vessels of this disclosure can increase transport efficiency compared to vacuum-insulated circular transport vessels, and the cryogenic transport vessels of this disclosure can fill hull space more efficiently than circular vessels.

[0052] The foregoing applies to embodiments of the present disclosure, but other and further embodiments of the present disclosure can be devised without departing from its basic scope, which is defined by the following claims.

Claims

1. A first membrane that defines the cavity, A first insulating layer disposed around the first membrane, comprising a first closed-cell insulating material, wherein the first closed-cell insulating material comprises a first syntactic foam, The base material placed around the first insulation layer, The hull and the base material arranged around it A liquid gas transport container equipped with the following features.

2. A second membrane is arranged around the first insulating layer, Displaced around the second membrane is a second insulating layer comprising a second closed-cell insulating material. A liquid gas transport container according to claim 1, further comprising the following:

3. The liquid gas transport container according to claim 2, wherein the second closed-cell insulation material includes a second syntactic foam.

4. The liquid gas transport container according to claim 3, wherein the first syntactic form and the second syntactic form each independently contain a plurality of hollow microspheres having an average microsphere diameter of about 1 micrometer (μm) to about 200 μm.

5. The second insulation layer described above is approximately 1 x 10 －６ A liquid gas transport container according to claim 2, having an absolute pressure of atm to approximately 1.5 atm.

6. The first insulation layer is approximately 1 x 10 －６ A liquid gas transport container according to claim 1, having an absolute pressure of atm to approximately 1.5 atm.

7. The liquid gas transport container according to claim 6, wherein the first membrane comprises one or more corrugated portions, and the one or more corrugated portions constitute a first membrane cavity disposed between the first membrane and the first heat insulating layer.

8. The liquid gas transport container according to claim 7, wherein the first membrane cavity, disposed between the first membrane and the first insulating layer, has near-atmospheric pressure.

9. A first membrane that defines the cavity, Displaced around the first membrane, a first insulating layer comprising a first closed-cell insulating material, The base material placed around the first insulation layer, A first intermediate shell disposed around the first insulating layer, the first intermediate shell disposed between the first membrane and the first insulating layer, and the first insulating layer and the base material, The hull and the base material arranged around it A liquid gas transport container equipped with the following features.

10. A second membrane is arranged around the first insulating layer, Displaced around the second membrane is a second insulating layer comprising a second closed-cell insulating material. A liquid gas transport container according to claim 9, further comprising the following:

11. The liquid gas transport container according to claim 10, further comprising a second intermediate shell disposed around the second insulating layer.

12. The liquid gas transport container according to claim 11, wherein the second intermediate shell is disposed between the second membrane and the second insulating layer, and between the second insulating layer and the base material.

13. The liquid gas transport container according to claim 9, wherein the first intermediate shell comprises one or more of epoxy, polyethylene terephthalate (Mylar), aluminum-deposited polyethylene terephthalate (aluminum-deposited Mylar), polypropylene, polyimide, polyetherimide, polyetheretherketone, or metal foil.

14. The liquid gas transport container according to claim 9, wherein the first intermediate shell has a thickness of approximately 0.1 mm to approximately 10 mm.

15. The liquid gas transport container according to claim 9, further comprising a membrane support layer disposed between the first intermediate shell and the first membrane.

16. The liquid gas transport container according to claim 15, further comprising a membrane bonding portion disposed between the membrane support layer and the first intermediate shell, configured to bond the membrane support layer to the first intermediate shell.

17. The liquid gas transport container according to claim 16, wherein the membrane adhesive portion is a polymer adhesive, epoxy adhesive, synthetic adhesive, thermally conductive adhesive, moisture-bonding adhesive, contact pressure adhesive, or acrylate adhesive.

18. The liquid gas transport container according to claim 17, wherein the membrane bonding portion is an epoxy bonding portion containing an epoxy adhesive for cryogenic use.

19. The liquid gas transport container according to claim 9, further comprising a thermal insulation bonding portion disposed between the first intermediate shell and the first thermal insulation layer, configured to bond the first intermediate shell to the first thermal insulation layer.

20. The liquid gas transport container according to claim 19, wherein the heat insulating adhesive portion is a polymer adhesive, epoxy adhesive, synthetic adhesive, thermally conductive adhesive, moisture-bonding adhesive, contact pressure adhesive, or acrylate adhesive, and the heat insulating adhesive portion is an epoxy adhesive portion containing an epoxy adhesive for cryogenic use.

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