Sealed insulated tank

Abstract

The invention relates to a sealed, insulated tank, characterized in that each of the tank walls comprises an insulating barrier arranged between the sealing membrane and the load-bearing wall, the tank walls comprise metal corner beams (10, 30) arranged parallel to the edge (100), the metal corner beams comprise planar wings having receiving portions (12, 30) extending away from the edge, a first part of the insulating barrier is located under the proximal part of the receiving portion of the planar wing (12, 30) and comprises at least one row of first insulating panels (21), a second part of the insulating barrier further away from the edge comprises at least one row of second insulating panels (22), and the ends of the strakes (32) of the sealing membranes (4, 104) are welded to the distal parts of the receiving portions (30) extending over the second part of the insulating barrier.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of sealed, insulated membrane tanks for the storage and / or transport of fluids such as liquefied gases. Sealed, insulated membrane tanks are used, in particular, for the storage of liquefied natural gas (LNG) at atmospheric pressure at approximately -163°C. Such tanks may be installed on land structures or floating structures. In the case of floating structures, the tanks can be used for the transport of liquefied natural gas or for the storage of liquefied natural gas as fuel to propel the floating structure. [Background technology]

[0002] International Publication No. 89 / 09909 discloses a sealed, insulated tank for liquefied natural gas storage, situated within a support structure, the tank having a multilayered wall structure. Specifically, from the outside to the inside of the tank, it comprises a secondary insulated barrier fixed to the support structure, a secondary sealing membrane supported by the secondary insulated barrier, a primary insulated barrier supported by the secondary sealing membrane, and a primary sealing membrane supported by the primary insulated barrier and intended to be in contact with the liquefied natural gas stored in the tank. The primary insulated barrier includes a rigid plate assembly held by welded supports of the secondary sealing membrane.

[0003] In one embodiment, the primary sealing membrane is formed by a rectangular plate assembly including ridges extending in two vertical directions, the plates are overlapped and welded together, and the welded edges are welded to metal strips fixed in a lap joint along the edges of the plates of the primary sealing barrier.

[0004] International Publication No. 2019077253 describes a sealed insulated tank wall that includes, in the longitudinal direction, a spacer extending between a cover plate and a bottom panel, the spacer holding the bottom panel and cover plate of the insulated module apart from each other, and a second region in which structural insulating foam is inserted between the cover plate and the bottom panel, the structural insulating foam holding the cover plate of the insulated module apart from the bottom panel.

[0005] International Publication No. 2019077253 indicates that the shrinkage behavior within a thickness is determined by at least one parameter selected from the thermal shrinkage coefficient and elastic modulus within the thickness. Therefore, if the insulation modules are different, the properties such as the thermal shrinkage coefficient and elastic modulus within the thickness will not be the same. As a result, differences in thickness are likely to occur at low temperatures, which are reflected as height differences between continuously installed insulation modules and lead to defects in the flatness of the support surface of the sealed membrane. To mitigate this defect, International Publication No. 2019077253 provides a transition region between a first region and a second region, and the insulation module is configured such that at least one parameter selected from the thermal shrinkage coefficient and elastic modulus in the thickness direction of the tank wall in the transition region takes a value within a range between the value of the parameter in the first region and the value in the second region. Note that this range includes both the value in the first region and the value in the second region. [Overview of the project]

[0006] One of the ideas behind a particular aspect of the present invention is to suppress the vulnerability of a sealed membrane to height differences between a plurality of consecutively arranged thermal insulation modules.

[0007] Another idea behind certain aspects of the present invention is to provide a tank wall that combines the advantages of a secondary membrane formed by parallel strakes, whose robustness has been proven by experience, with the advantages of a ribbed primary membrane, which has very high mechanical resistance to loads resulting from thermal contraction, cargo movement, and / or beam deformation when a ship is at sea.

[0008] Another idea behind a particular aspect of the present invention is to provide a corner structure for this type of tank wall that is relatively easy to manufacture.

[0009] According to one embodiment, the present invention provides a sealed, insulated tank integrated with a support structure. The tank includes a first tank wall fixed to a first support wall and a second tank wall fixed to a second support wall, the second support wall being joined to the first support wall at the edge of the support structure.

[0010] Each of the first and second tank walls includes at least one sealing membrane and one thermal barrier disposed between the sealing membrane and the support wall.

[0011] The sealed membrane comprises a plurality of strakes made of an alloy with a low coefficient of thermal expansion, each strake comprising a flat central portion resting on the upper surface of the heat insulating barrier and two protruding edges projecting inward from the central portion toward the tank, the plurality of strakes being arranged side by side and welded to each other at the positions of the protruding edges in a sealed state.

[0012] The tank wall includes metal corner girders arranged parallel to the edge and fixed to the first and second support walls, the corner girders including a first planar flange parallel to the first support wall and a second planar flange parallel to the second support wall, the two planar flanges being firmly connected to each other at the location of a sealed connection area to form the corner of the sealing membrane, and each of the first and second planar flanges having a receiving portion extending from the connection area at a position spaced apart from the edge,

[0013] The first portion of the thermal insulation barrier is located on the lower side of the proximal side of the receiving portion of the planar flange and includes at least one row of first thermal insulation panels, each of which includes a cover plate, a bottom plate, and a spacer that extends in the thickness direction of the tank wall between the bottom plate and the cover plate and holds the bottom plate and the cover plate spaced apart from each other.

[0014] The second portion of the thermal insulation barrier, which is further from the edge than the first portion of the thermal insulation barrier, includes at least one row of second thermal insulation panels, each of which includes a cover plate, a bottom plate, and a thermal insulation foam block inserted between the bottom plate and the cover plate, the thermal insulation foam block holding the cover plate separated from the bottom plate.

[0015] The end of the strake of the sealing membrane is welded to the distal side of the receiving portion of the planar flange that extends over the second portion of the heat insulating barrier.

[0016] This configuration allows for the use of a second insulation panel based on structural insulation foam across most of the tank wall, taking advantage of the panel's superior thermal insulation properties. Nevertheless, by using the first insulation panel, which has spacers extending in the thickness direction, near the edges and potentially in other areas of the tank wall where compressive stress is higher, it is possible to take advantage of the insulation panel's greater resistance to stress.

[0017] Due to the characteristics of the corner girder, the receiving panel of the planar flange of the corner girder extends over the first portion of the thermal barrier and further extends to the second portion of the thermal barrier. In the first portion, the first thermal panel exhibits shrinkage behavior within its thickness, which is mainly determined by the shrinkage behavior within the thickness of the support spacer, cover plate, and bottom plate. In the second portion, the second thermal panel exhibits shrinkage behavior within its thickness, which is mainly determined by the shrinkage behavior within the thickness of the thermal foam. Therefore, the receiving portion of the planar flange of the corner girder straddles the interface between the first and second portions of the thermal barrier, and further straddles any height difference that may occur at low temperatures. Thus, a strake with a protruding edge can be held away from this interface and placed on a support surface that is not affected by such possible height differences.

[0018] The distal portion of the planar flange preferably extends over the second portion of the thermal barrier for a distance of more than 100 mm, or even more than 200 mm, along a direction perpendicular to the edge. Thus, any height difference that may occur between the first and second portions of the thermal barrier can be compensated over the full length of the planar flange, and excessively strong shear can be avoided. According to other advantageous embodiments, this type of tank may have one or more of the following features:

[0019] The secondary girder can be fixed to the support structure in various ways. According to one embodiment, the first planar flange and the second planar flange each further have a fixing portion that extends toward the support structure side with respect to the connection region, and the fixing portion of the first planar flange and the fixing portion of the second planar flange are connected to the second support wall and the first support wall, respectively.

[0020] The fixing part of the planar flange and the support wall can be connected to each other by various methods such as, for example, nuts and bolts, welding, etc. According to one embodiment, the first support wall and each of the second support walls carry a fixed flat part arranged at a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the secondary heat insulation barrier from the edge, and the fixing parts of the first planar flange and the second planar flange are welded to the fixed flat part, preferably welded to the surface of the fixed flat part at an interval from the edge.

[0021] According to one embodiment, between the fixing parts of the first planar flange and the second planar flange, a heat insulating material reinforcing element is fixed to the corner girder, and the reinforcing element includes a spacer plate arranged perpendicular to the edge, whereby the angle formed by the fixing parts of the first planar flange and the second planar flange is maintained equal to the angle formed by the two support walls.

[0022] According to one embodiment, the reinforcing element further includes two heat insulating material support plates, the heat insulating material support plates are parallel to the first planar flange and the second planar flange, and are respectively fixed to the surfaces facing the edges of the fixing parts of the first planar flange and the second planar flange, and the spacer plate is arranged between the two support plates.

[0023] The corner girder can be manufactured in various ways by a large number or a small number of welded metal parts. According to one embodiment, the corner girder includes a base cross having a first planar protrusion parallel to the first support wall and a second planar protrusion parallel to the second support wall, the sealed connection region is formed between the first flat protrusion and the second flat protrusion, and the corner girder is welded to each of the first and second planar protrusions in a sealed state, and further includes two planar metal pieces extending parallel to the first support wall and the second support wall respectively to form the receiving part of the planar flange.

[0024] This type of structure can be used for a tank wall that includes one sealing membrane and one heat insulation barrier within its thickness, or a tank wall that includes multiple sealing membranes and / or multiple heat insulation barriers. According to one embodiment, the sealing membrane is a secondary sealing membrane, the heat insulation barrier is a secondary heat insulation barrier disposed between the secondary sealing membrane and the support wall, and the first tank wall and the second tank wall each include a primary sealing membrane intended to contact the product contained in the tank, and a primary heat insulation barrier disposed between the primary sealing membrane and the secondary sealing membrane. The sealing membrane may further include a secondary sealing membrane wall.

[0025] The secondary heat insulation barrier can be manufactured in various ways. According to one embodiment, the secondary heat insulation barrier includes a plurality of juxtaposed parallelepiped secondary heat insulation panels.

[0026] According to one embodiment, the primary sealing membrane includes a metal plate, the metal plate includes a plurality of parallel first rib-shaped portions, a plurality of second rib-shaped portions perpendicular to the first rib-shaped portions, and a planar portion located between the first rib-shaped portions and the second rib-shaped portions and placed on the upper surface of the primary heat insulation barrier.

[0027] The tank wall includes a plurality of rows of primary corner pieces arranged parallel to the edge, and each primary corner piece includes a metal angle iron to which the edge portions of the primary sealing membranes of the first tank wall and the second tank wall are welded, and a rigid heat insulation piece disposed between the metal angle iron and the corner girder.

[0028] The primary corner pieces are placed on the inner surfaces of the first planar flange and the second planar flange of the corner girder.

[0029] The corner holding member is for the secondary heat insulation barrier of the first tank wall and the second tank wall wall, or the first support wall and the second support on the wallThe corner holding member holds the primary corner piece and is configured to pass through the receiving portion of the planar flange of the corner beam in a sealed state.

[0030] The corner retaining members support the secondary insulation barrier and / or each of the two tank walls. on the wall It can be configured to hold the primary corner piece. Therefore, unlike architectures that use a double connecting ring made entirely of metal, such as Invar®, the corner piece can be advantageously held on the corner beam without forming a metal connection between the two sealed membranes, thereby limiting heat transfer and keeping the two sealed membranes independent.

[0031] According to one embodiment, the corner holding member includes a plurality of metal rods, which are fixed in series with the row of primary corner pieces to the first insulation panel of the secondary insulation barrier, or between the first insulation panels, and which protrude through the receiving portion of the planar flange of the corner beam and cooperate with the primary corner pieces.

[0032] According to one embodiment, one or each corner retaining member includes a stirrup fixed beneath a cover plate of a first insulation panel, the stirrup including a central plate parallel to the cover plate, two fixing projections extending perpendicularly from the central plate and fixed to two spacers of the first insulation panel, and a metal rod fixed to the central plate, for example by bolts or welding, and penetrating the cover plate of the first insulation panel.

[0033] According to one embodiment, the corner retaining member includes a base fixed to one or each support wall in series with the primary corner piece, and a coupler held by the base, extending through the thickness of the secondary thermal insulation barrier and the receiving portion of one or each planar flange, and engaging with the rigid thermal insulation piece.

[0034] This type of coupler may or may not be in conjunction with the secondary insulation panel. According to one embodiment, the coupler includes a secondary coupler that works in conjunction with the first insulation panel of the secondary insulation barrier to hold the first insulation panel on the support wall, and a primary coupler that is supported by the secondary coupler and works in conjunction with the rigid insulation piece to hold the rigid insulation piece.

[0035] Primary thermal barriers can be manufactured in various ways. According to one embodiment, the primary thermal barrier includes a plurality of juxtaposed parallelepiped primary thermal panels.

[0036] According to one embodiment, a primary insulation panel adjacent to a primary corner piece includes a cover plate, a bottom plate, and structural insulation foam inserted between the bottom plate and the cover plate, so that the structural insulation foam holds the cover plate at a certain distance from the bottom plate. It is possible to use primary insulation panels based on structural insulation foam over a large portion of the tank wall and take advantage of the superior thermal insulation properties of the panels.

[0037] According to one embodiment, the second portion of the secondary thermal barrier includes a first row of second thermal panels, the first row being adjacent to the first portion of the secondary thermal barrier,

[0038] The primary thermal barrier includes a first row of primary thermal panels adjacent to the row of primary corner pieces,

[0039] The first row of the second insulation panel supports a row of primary retaining members for holding the first row of the primary insulation panel on the secondary insulation barrier of the first tank wall and the second tank wall.

[0040] According to one embodiment, the receiving portion of the planar flange extends along the first row of the second heat insulating panel in a direction perpendicular to the edge to the end of the row of primary retaining members, and the primary retaining members pass through the receiving portion in a sealed state.

[0041] This arrangement has the advantage that the opening through which the primary retaining member passes can be located within a flat flange rather than a strake with a protruding edge. In this case, the flat flange is preferably made from a plate thicker than the strake with a protruding edge.

[0042] According to an alternative embodiment, the row of the primary retaining member is positioned along a direction perpendicular to the edge on the first row of the second insulating panel on the other side of the receiving portion of the planar flange, and the primary retaining member penetrates the strake of the secondary sealing membrane in a sealed manner.

[0043] According to one embodiment, the second insulation panel features a relaxation slot extending parallel to the edge and extending through the top of the cover plate and the insulation foam block into the thickness of the second insulation panel, the primary retaining member being supported by the second insulation panel between the relaxation slot and the end of the second insulation panel facing the edge, preferably at an intermediate point between the relaxation slot and the end of the second insulation panel facing the edge.

[0044] According to an alternative embodiment, the first row of the second insulation panel supports the row of primary retaining members at a position approximately half the dimension of the second insulation panel in a direction perpendicular to the edge.

[0045] This arrangement allows the second insulation panel to be thermally contracted perpendicular to the edges in a relatively balanced manner on both sides of the row of primary retaining members, either by having a relaxation slot or by having a narrow second insulation panel without a relaxation slot. This avoids generating tensile forces on the primary retaining members that would otherwise shear the secondary sealing membrane due to the thermal contraction of the second insulation panel.

[0046] According to one embodiment, the first row of the second insulation panel comprises an insulating foam having a first density, and the second portion of the secondary insulating barrier comprises a second row of the second insulation panel that is further from the edge than the first row of the second insulation panel, and the second row of the second insulation panel comprises an insulating foam having a second density lower than the first density.

[0047] Due to these characteristics, the thermal shrinkage coefficient and elastic modulus of the insulation foam vary with its density, and as a result of thermal shrinkage, a height difference may occur between two rows of the second insulation panel. Therefore, by using multiple rows of second insulation panels with different densities, the height difference caused by thermal shrinkage and hydrostatic compression under load can be staggered as a series of small differences, rather than being located at the interface between the first and second parts of the insulation barrier, which, where applicable, constitutes a secondary insulation barrier.

[0048] According to one embodiment, the dimensions of the primary corner piece are greater than the dimensions of the first portion of the secondary thermal barrier, such that the row of the primary corner piece extends to the first row of the second thermal insulation panel in a direction perpendicular to the edge.

[0049] According to an alternative embodiment, the dimensions of the primary corner piece are smaller than the dimensions of the first portion of the secondary insulating barrier, such that the first row of the primary insulating panel extends to the first portion of the secondary insulating barrier in a direction perpendicular to the edge.

[0050] This arrangement ensures that elements of the primary adiabatic barrier, either the row of primary corner pieces or the first row of primary adiabatic panels, straddle the interface between the first and second parts of the secondary adiabatic barrier. This straddling effect allows any potential height differences between the two parts of the secondary adiabatic barrier to be distributed across the width of these elements of the primary adiabatic barrier at low temperatures. Consequently, the flatness of the support surface of the primary membrane is improved at this location, and therefore the shear force on the membrane is reduced.

[0051] According to one embodiment, the rigid heat insulating portion of the primary corner piece includes a heat insulating foam having a first density, the primary heat insulating panel includes a cover plate, a bottom plate, and a heat insulating foam block inserted between the bottom plate and the cover plate, the cover plate being held at a distance from the bottom plate by the heat insulating foam block, and the heat insulating foam block having a second density lower than the first density.

[0052] This characteristic allows for the use of a second adiabatic density across the majority of the primary adiabatic barrier, thereby taking advantage of superior thermal insulation properties. Nevertheless, using the first adiabatic foam density near the edges and, in some cases, in other areas of the tank wall where compressive stress is higher, can provide the advantage of improved resistance to stress.

[0053] According to the first embodiment, a first row of primary insulation panels adjacent to a row of primary corner pieces includes a cover plate, a bottom plate, and at least two insulation foam blocks of different densities inserted between the bottom plate and the cover plate, thereby holding the cover plate at a certain distance from the bottom plate by the insulation foam blocks. The bottom plate and the cover plate may be bonded to the insulation foam blocks.

[0054] Of the two insulating foam blocks closest to the row of corner pieces, the first insulating foam block is preferably denser than the second insulating foam block further away from the row of corner pieces. The first insulating foam block has the same density as, for example, the rigid insulating piece of the primary timber or the first row of the second insulating panel.

[0055] According to one embodiment, the row of primary holding members is arranged on the second insulation panel of the first row in series with the first block of insulation foam, i.e., the first block of higher density insulation foam.

[0056] The secondary sealing membrane can be formed in a variety of ways. According to one embodiment, in at least one tank wall, the longitudinal direction of the strake is perpendicular to the edge, and the secondary sealing membrane further includes a row of flat-edged end strakes that form the end of the strake of the secondary sealing membrane to be welded to the corner beam, the end strakes having projecting edges parallel to the longitudinal direction of the strake, the projecting edges gradually decreasing in size toward the corner beam. Further details relating to this type of membrane are described, for example, in International Publication No. 2012 / 072906.

[0057] The primary sealing membrane can be formed in various ways. According to one embodiment, the first and second ridges may be continuous or interrupted at the point where the first and second ridges intersect.

[0058] According to one embodiment, the first ridged portion of the primary sealing membrane extends perpendicularly to the edge, and the primary sealing membrane includes a cap piece welded to a V-shaped iron material to close the first ridged portion. The cap piece is known, for example, from International Publication No. 2014167228.

[0059] According to one embodiment, the first ridged portion of the primary sealing membrane extends perpendicularly to the edge, and the primary sealing membrane includes ridged corner pieces welded to angled iron to connect the first ridged portion of the first tank wall to the first ridged portion of the second tank wall. Ribbed corner pieces are known, for example, from FR-A-2739675.

[0060] According to one embodiment, in order to improve the flatness of the upper surface of the primary thermal barrier, the bridging elements are arranged to straddle the first row of primary thermal panels and the row of primary corner pieces.

[0061] The length of the secondary girder may be made longer or shorter. According to one embodiment, the secondary girder includes at least two girder sections placed side by side with a gap between them along the edge, and connecting elements that are placed in the gap to assemble the two girder sections. Thus, the secondary girder can be manufactured as a series of continuous sections, each with a length of, for example, 1 to 3 m, making it easy to handle.

[0062] According to one embodiment, the product contained in the tank is a liquefied gas such as liquefied natural gas.

[0063] These types of tanks may, for example, form part of a ground storage facility for storing LNG, or they may be installed on coastal or deep-sea floating structures, particularly methane tankers, floating storage and remineralization units (FSRUs), floating production storage and offloading units (FPSOs), etc.

[0064] According to one embodiment, a ship for transporting cryogenic fluids includes a double hull and the tanks located within the double hull.

[0065] According to one embodiment, the double hull includes an inner hull that forms a support structure for the tank.

[0066] According to one embodiment, the present invention further provides a fluid transfer system comprising a vessel, insulated piping arranged to connect the tank installed in the hull of the vessel to a floating or ground storage facility, and a pump for transporting the fluid through the insulated piping from the floating or ground storage facility to the tank of the vessel, or from the tank of the vessel to the floating or ground storage facility.

[0067] According to one embodiment, the present invention further provides a method for loading and unloading a vessel, wherein a fluid is delivered via insulated piping from a floating or ground-based storage facility to the tank of the vessel, or from the tank of the vessel to the floating or ground-based storage facility. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0068] The present invention will be better understood and other purposes, details, features, and advantages will become clearer only by referring to the accompanying drawings in the following description of several specific embodiments of the invention shown as non-limiting examples.

[0069] [Figure 1] This is a partial perspective view of a corner region of a sealed, insulated tank according to one embodiment in the first stage of manufacturing.

[0070] [Figure 2] This diagram is similar to Figure 1, but represents the second stage of manufacturing.

[0071] [Figure 3] This diagram is similar to Figure 1, but represents the third stage of manufacturing.

[0072] [Figure 4] This is an enlarged cutaway perspective view showing details of insulation panels usable in corner areas.

[0073] [Figure 5] This figure, similar to Figure 3, shows another embodiment of the corner region.

[0074] [Figure 6] This is a cross-sectional view of the corner region in the third stage of manufacturing, on a plane perpendicular to the edge.

[0075] [Figure 7] This is a perspective view of reinforcing elements that can be used in corner areas.

[0076] [Figure 8] This is a cutout diagram similar to Figure 1, showing the corner area in the final stage of manufacturing.

[0077] [Figure 9] This is a cross-sectional view of a corner region in the final stage of manufacturing, in another embodiment, on a plane perpendicular to the edge.

[0078] [Figure 10] This figure, similar to Figure 9, shows a further embodiment of the corner region.

[0079] [Figure 11] Figure 11 is a schematic cutaway of a methane tanker's tank and its loading / unloading terminal.

[0080] [Figure 12] This is a partial perspective view of a primary membrane and primary thermal barrier according to one embodiment.

[0081] [Figure 13] This figure, similar to Figure 9, shows a further embodiment of the corner region.

[0082] [Figure 14] This is a perspective view of an insulating panel usable in a corner area according to one embodiment.

[0083] [Figure 15] Figure 14 is a perspective view of a corner area of ​​a tank where an insulating panel is used.

[0084] [Figure 16] This figure, similar to Figure 14, shows an insulating panel of another embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0085] The tank wall is attached to the wall of the supporting structure. By convention, regardless of the orientation of the tank wall relative to the Earth's gravitational field, "upper" or "above" refers to a position closer to the inside of the tank, and "lower" or "below" refers to a position closer to the supporting wall.

[0086] Figure 8 shows the multilayer structure of two walls 1 and 101 that constitute the corner region of a sealed, insulated tank for storing liquefied fluids such as liquefied natural gas (LNG). Each tank wall 1, 101 includes, in the thickness direction, sequentially from the outside to the inside of the tank, secondary insulated barriers 2, 102 held on support walls 3, 103, secondary sealing membranes 4, 104 placed on the secondary insulated barriers 2, 102, primary insulated barriers 5, 105 placed on the secondary sealing membranes 4, 104, and primary sealing membranes 6, 106 intended to be in contact with the liquefied natural gas contained in the tank.

[0087] The support structure may be configured in particular as a ship's hull or a double hull. The support structure includes multiple support walls 3, 103 that define the general shape of the tank, usually a polyhedron. Two support walls 3 and 103 are joined at the edge 100 to form a dihedral angle. The dihedral angle may be any angle; here, it is shown as 90°.

[0088] Next, the structure of the corner region will be described in more detail with reference to Figures 1 to 7. In the illustrated embodiment, considering that the structures of the two tank walls 1 and 101 are substantially symmetrical with respect to the edge 100, the tank wall 1 will be described substantially. The components of tank wall 101 are given reference numbers that are the same as those of the components of tank wall 1 plus 100, and the descriptions will not be repeated.

[0089] Referring to Figure 1, the metal base cloth 10 is positioned parallel to the edge 100 within the dimensions of the thickness of the secondary insulation barriers 2, 102. The base cloth 10 consists of two planar pieces that intersect in a sealed manner and extend parallel to the support walls 3, 103. Each planar piece consists of a fixing portion 11, 111 and planar projections 12, 112 that project away from the support walls 103, 3 to which the fixing portion is fixed. The fixing portion is welded to the fixing flat portion 113, 13, preferably welded to the surface of the fixing flat portion at a distance from the edge 100. These two planar pieces are assembled at a right angle by welded connection. The two planar pieces may be integrated, or they may be constructed by welding multiple plates together.

[0090] Behind the base cloth 10, within the gap between the two fixing plates 13, 113, an insulating packing 15 is housed along the edge 100. In the first embodiment, this insulating packing 15 is not designed to withstand high loads and may be made of glass wool or other materials such as insulating foam. In the second embodiment, if higher mechanical strength is required in this area, the insulating packing 15 includes a plywood box filled with insulating material such as glass wool or rock wool, perlite or insulating foam.

[0091] Referring to Figure 2, the secondary insulation barrier 2 is shown. The secondary insulation barrier 2 includes a plurality of secondary insulation panels fixed to the support wall 3 by a retaining device. Note that the entire retaining device is not shown. The secondary insulation panels have a general parallelepiped shape and are arranged in multiple rows parallel to the edge 100. To compensate for the deviation of the support wall 3 from the planar reference plane, mastic beads (not shown) are placed between the secondary insulation panels and the support wall 3. A film (not shown), for example made of kraft paper, can be inserted between the mastic beads and the support walls 3, 103 to prevent the mastic beads from adhering to the support walls 3, 103.

[0092] This type of film is not essential. Conversely, mastic beads may be used to attach the secondary insulation panel to the support wall 3.

[0093] Secondary insulation panels are manufactured according to various structures. In the first part of the secondary insulation barrier 2, a first type of insulation panel 21 is manufactured as a box containing a bottom plate 41, a cover plate 40, and a plurality of support flanges 42. The plurality of support flanges extend in the thickness direction of the tank wall between the bottom plate 41 and the cover plate 40, defining a plurality of compartments 43. These compartments are filled with insulating packing 44, such as polymer foam, particularly polyurethane foam, perlite, or glass wool or rock wool.

[0094] In one variation, the support flange 42 is replaced with a column having a cross-section smaller than the overall cross-section of the panel. This type of common structure is described, for example, in International Publication No. 2012 / 127141 and International Publication No. 2017 / 103500.

[0095] In the embodiment shown more clearly in Figure 4, the insulation panel 21 includes a plurality of support webs 42 extending parallel to the edge 100. The support webs 42, bottom plate 41, and cover plate 40 may be made of plywood or composite material. The support webs 42 define compartments 43, which are shown empty in Figure 4 but are actually filled with insulation packing 44. In the modified embodiments applicable to all figures, shown in Figures 14 to 16, the support webs 42 are oriented perpendicular to the edge 100.

[0096] In the second part of the secondary thermal barrier 2, the second type of thermal panel 22 includes a base plate 23, a cover plate 24, and optionally an intermediate plate (not shown) made of, for example, plywood. The thermal panel 22 further includes one or more layers of thermal insulation polymer foam 25 sandwiched between the base plate 23 and the cover plate 24 (and the intermediate plate, if applicable) and attached to the cover plate. The thermal insulation polymer foam 25 may, in particular, be a polyurethane-based foam and may optionally be reinforced with fibers. A general structure of this type is described, for example, in International Publication No. 2017 / 006044.

[0097] The structure of the secondary insulation panel differs depending on its location within the tank wall 1. Therefore, a first type of insulation panel 21 is used in the corner area of ​​the tank wall 1 located near the edge 100, while a second type of secondary insulation panel 22 is used where it is located away from the edge 100.

[0098] Therefore, in Figure 2, the secondary thermal insulation barrier 2 includes a row of first-type thermal insulation panels 21 arranged to abut against the base cloth 10. The thermal insulation panels 21 constitute the first portion of the secondary thermal insulation barrier 2, the shrinkage behavior within the thickness controlled by spacers. A portion of the thermal insulation panels 21 is positioned below the planar projection 12. The planar projection can be fastened to the cover plate 40 with screws. The thermal insulation panels 21 are fixed to the support wall 3 by retaining members 29 positioned between the thermal insulation panels 21.

[0099] For example, as shown in Figure 6, the retaining member 29 includes two studs 26 housed in a base 27 welded to the support wall 3, and a plate 28 bolted to the studs 26 to engage with two insulation panels 21 positioned on either side of the retaining member 29. In particular, the plate 28 is fixed to a thin strip 45 formed on the edge of the support web 42. Alternatively, the thin strip 45 may be independent of the support web 42 and be a component attached, for example, to a bottom plate 41.

[0100] As shown in Figure 3, the planar metal piece 30 is welded to the planar projection 12 of the base cloth 10 in a sealed manner, so as to cover the row of insulation panels 21 and to extend over the first row of insulation panels 22, and extends along the extension of the planar projection 12 at a position away from the edge. The dimension of the projection over the first row of insulation panels 22 can be made larger or smaller, as can be seen by comparing Figures 3 and 5. This dimension is preferably greater than 100 mm.

[0101] The base cloth 10 and the planar strips 30 and 130 together form corner beams that complete the secondary sealing membrane 4 at the edge of the tank. The rest of the secondary sealing membrane 44 includes a continuous layer of multiple metal strakes. The edges of the strakes are raised. These strakes are not shown as they are publicly known. Neither of the parallel welded supports (not shown) are fixed in grooves 31 provided in the cover plate 24 of the insulation panel 22, and the protruding edges of the strakes are welded onto these supports. The strakes are made of, for example, Invar®, i.e., metal with a coefficient of thermal expansion typically of 1.2 × 10⁻⁶. -6 ~2×10 -6 K -1 It is made of an alloy of iron and nickel. Also, typically 7 × 10 -6 K -1 It is also possible to use an iron-manganese alloy with a certain coefficient of thermal expansion. The corner beams may be made of the same material. Further details regarding continuous layers of this type of metal strake are described, for example, in International Publication No. 2012 / 072906.

[0102] Figure 3 shows only the ends of the strakes that make up the secondary membrane 4. These strakes consist of rows of multiple edge strakes 32 and have a flat edge 33 that is welded to the planar strip 30 while ensuring a tight seal, and a protruding edge that extends from the protruding edge of the strake and gradually decreases in size toward the flat edge 33. The edge strakes 32 are positioned on the insulation panel 22 and do not protrude onto the insulation panel 21. Therefore, any height difference between the two types of insulation panels is not transmitted to the strakes with protruding edges, but only to the planar strip 30, which is more easily bendable.

[0103] To fabricate a corner beam along edge 100, it is preferable to use multiple sections of appropriate length for handling conditions, preferably with a length of 1 to 3 m per section. Figure 5 schematically shows two consecutive sections of base cloth 10.

[0104] Figure 6 shows reinforcing members 34 that are fixed to the corner beams, for example, with bolts, between the fixed parts of the base cross 10. The reinforcing members 34 include triangular spacer plates 35 that maintain the angle between the fixed parts.

[0105] As shown in Figure 7, the reinforcing member 34 is manufactured as an element including two support plates 36, and each plate can be fixed to each fixing part of the base cross 10, for example, with bolts. The reinforcing member 34 is made of plywood or other insulating material, for example.

[0106] Figures 3, 5, and 6 show the tank wall, which can be considered in its completed state assuming the use of only one sealed membrane. The main components of the tank will be described in more detail next, but this is therefore not essential.

[0107] Figure 3 shows primary retaining members that are attached to the insulation panels 21 and 22 to secure the primary insulation barrier 5. More precisely, the joint between the primary insulation barrier 5 and 105 is created by arranging primary corner pieces 37 in a single row on the corner beams. Each corner piece 37 includes an insulation piece 38 in the shape of a V-shaped steel bar with two vertical flanges, the thickness of which is substantially equal to the thickness of the primary insulation barriers 5 and 105. Metal V-shaped steel bars 39 are fixed to the upper surface of the insulation piece 38 along the edge. The insulation piece 38 can be manufactured in various ways. For example, it may be manufactured using solid plywood, or using one or more blocks having a sandwich structure consisting of one or more layers of polymer foam and one or more rigid plates made of plywood, or it may be manufactured as one or more boxes filled with insulation material.

[0108] The insulating piece 38 may be manufactured as a single unit or as multiple pieces. Figures 8 to 10 show an embodiment in which the primary corner piece 37 includes a V-shaped steel member 39 and an insulating piece 38 consisting of two symmetrical parts. More precisely, each symmetrical part includes a sandwich structure composed of a block of high-density polymer foam 63 and two rigid plates. The density of the polymer foam is, for example, 150 kg / m³.3 ~300kg / m 3 During that period, especially around 210 kg / m 3 The rigid plates are, for example, plywood 61 and 64.

[0109] The insulation panel 21 that secures the primary corner piece 37 is provided with threaded studs 46. As shown in Figure 4, the studs 46 may be screwed into an insert 47 attached to the insulation panel 21 located on the underside of the cover plate 40. The insert 47 includes an inverted U-shaped stirrup 48, the flanges of which are each secured to a web 42, and a threaded bush 49 that is secured to a central plate of the stirrup 48 and accommodated in a hole 50 in the cover plate 40.

[0110] Therefore, the threaded studs 46 are positioned on the planar strip 30 while maintaining a seal, and penetrate the planar strip. This limits the number of holes that can be made in the less strong, protruding-edge strakes. The primary corner strips 37 can be fastened in various ways using the threaded studs 46, for example, as described in International Publication No. 2018087466.

[0111] At the point where it penetrates the secondary membrane 4, the threaded stud 46 may hold the flange. The flange is then welded to the secondary membrane 4 to ensure airtightness.

[0112] To limit heat transfer caused by the primary retaining member, the threaded studs 46 are configured to secure the lower part of the insulating piece 38 away from the primary sealing membrane 6. For example, as seen in Figure 10, the bottom plate 61 of the insulating piece 37 is secured with a plate 60, or a thin strip near the bottom plate is secured.

[0113] To form retaining members for the primary insulation panel 54, threaded studs 52 are fixed to the first row of the insulation panel 22, and threaded studs 53 are fixed to the second row of the insulation panel 22.

[0114] In Figure 3, the threaded stud 52 penetrates the edge strake 32, but in Figure 5, because the planar strip 30 is wider, the threaded stud penetrates the planar strip 30. The configuration in Figure 5 makes it possible to further limit the number of holes formed in the strake with a protruding edge.

[0115] As shown in Figure 8, the primary insulation barrier 5 includes a plurality of primary insulation panels 54 having a general parallelepiped shape. The length and width of the primary insulation panels 54 may be the same as or different from the insulation panels 22 below them.

[0116] The primary insulation panel 54 can be manufactured using various structures known on their own. Preferably, the primary insulation panel 54 has a multilayer structure similar to that of the insulation panel 22.

[0117] Therefore, the primary insulation panel 54 is held on the underlying insulation panel 22 using threaded studs 52 and 53. The studs are preferably positioned at the corners of the primary insulation panel 54 so as to coincide with, for example, the center of the underlying insulation panel 22.

[0118] As can be seen more clearly from Figures 9 and 10, it is preferable that the length of the corner piece 37 perpendicular to the edge 100 be different from that of the insulation panel 21. Therefore, in Figure 10, which corresponds to the geometric shape of Figure 8, the corner piece 37 is longer than the insulation panel 22 and extends over the first row of the insulation panel 21. Conversely, in Figure 9, the insulation panel 21 is longer than the corner piece 37, and the first row of the primary insulation panel 54 extends over the row side of the insulation panel 21.

[0119] Therefore, in either case, even if a height difference occurs between the insulating panel 21 and the insulating panel 22 at low temperatures, the flatness of the primary insulating barrier 5 is maintained more effectively.

[0120] To improve the flatness of the upper surface of the primary thermal barrier 5, which must hold the primary sealing membrane 6, flat, plate-shaped crosslinking elements (not shown) may be added and arranged, for example, between the first row of primary thermal panels 54 and the row of corner pieces 37. Further details on the manufacturing method of this type of crosslinking element can be found in International Publication No. 2016046487.

[0121] Figure 8 also shows that the primary sealing membrane 6 includes a continuous layer of plates characterized by rows of ridges extending in two directions perpendicular to each other. The row of ridges 55 in the first direction extends perpendicular to the edge 100. The row of ridges 56 in the second direction extends parallel to the edge 100. The spacing between the rows of ridges in the two directions may be regular or may have periodic irregularity.

[0122] In the illustrated embodiment, the ridges 55 and 56 are connected, forming an intersection between the rows of ridges in two directions. In another embodiment, the primary sealing membrane 6 may also be characterized by having ridges that are interrupted at the intersection of the two rows of ridges perpendicular to each other. For example, in this case, the interrupted portions may be alternately distributed between the rows of ridges in the first direction and the rows of ridges in the second direction, and in a row of ridges in one direction, the portion where one ridge is interrupted is offset from the portion where another adjacent ridge is interrupted parallel to it. The distance of this offset may be equal to the distance between two parallel rows of ridges.

[0123] The primary sealing membrane 6 may be formed by welding together a plurality of rectangular metal plates using known techniques so that they slightly overlap along their edges. The primary membrane 6 is fixed to the primary insulation barrier 5 by any suitable means. Metal fixing strips 58 may be fixed to the cover plate of the primary insulation panel 54 at a position along the contour of the rectangular plates. The edges of the rectangular plates can be fixed by welding along the fixing strips 58 in this way. The fixing strips are fixed to recesses in the cover plate using any suitable means, such as screws or rivets. The fixing strips 58 can be positioned at various locations on the primary insulation panel 54.

[0124] For example, in Figure 8, the fixing strips 58 of the primary insulation panel 54 are arranged along two lines that intersect perpendicularly to each other near the center of the primary insulation panel 54. In the embodiment shown in Figure 12, the fixing strips 58 are arranged along the edge of the primary insulation panel 54, extending around the entire perimeter of the primary insulation panel. The fixing strips 58 along two adjacent primary insulation panels 54 are directly connected by the flat portion 69 of the primary membrane 6. The flat portion 69 resists the movement of the two adjacent primary insulation panels 54 separating from each other more strongly than the ridged portion of the primary membrane 6.

[0125] Dimension example

[0126] In one embodiment, the corner beams 10 and 30 are made of a metal plate such as Invar®, and their thickness is 1 mm or more and 2 mm or less, for example, 1.5 mm.

[0127] The thickness of the strakes of the secondary sealing membrane 4 may be less than 1 mm, for example, 0.7 mm. The thickness of the edge strakes 32 may be greater than that, less than 1.5 mm, for example, 1 mm.

[0128] In one embodiment, the thickness of the primary sealing membrane 6 is greater than that of the secondary sealing membrane 4, for example, between 1 mm and 1.5 mm, and particularly 1.2 mm.

[0129] The thickness of the fixed flaps 13 and 113 shall be, for example, between 5 mm and 12 mm, and especially about 8 mm.

[0130] The edges of the primary sealing membrane 6 are welded to a metal angled steel member 39 while ensuring airtightness. There are several solutions for sealing the ridged portions 55 and 155 perpendicular to the edge 100. In the embodiment shown in Figure 8, ridged corner pieces 57 are welded to the metal angled steel member 39, connecting one ridged portion 55 to one ridged portion 155 each time. Ridged corner pieces 57 are known, for example, from FR-A-2739675.

[0131] In embodiments not shown, the ends of the ridged portions 55 and 155 are closed by welding a cap portion to a metal angled iron material 39. The cap piece is known, for example, from International Publication No. 2014167228.

[0132] In Figure 10, elements identical or similar to those in Figure 8 are indicated by the same reference numerals. In this example, the retaining member 29 is replaced by a retaining member 62 that is directly held on the support wall 3 and thereby also holds the primary corner piece 37. For this purpose, the retaining member 62 includes one or more secondary couplers connected to the support wall 3. The base of the secondary coupler is connected to the support wall, for example, via a pedestal forming a ball joint, and it itself carries a primary coupler that clamps the insulating piece 38 or two insulating pieces 38 to the secondary membrane 4. Further details of the retaining member 62 can be found, for example, in French Patent Application Publication No. 2798358.

[0133] Figures 9 and 10 further illustrate various possible configurations of the first row of insulation panels 22. In Figure 9, a relaxation slot 65 is cut into the upper half of the insulation panel 22. The relaxation slot is cut such that the distance from the relaxation slot 65 and the edge of the insulation panel 22 to the threaded stud 52 is equal in a direction perpendicular to the edge 100. In Figure 10, the length of the first row of insulation panels 22 is much shorter, and the threaded stud 52 is located at equal distances from both ends of the insulation panel 22 in a direction perpendicular to the edge 100.

[0134] These arrangements have the effect of making the action of thermal contraction symmetrical with respect to the position of the threaded stud 52, thus preventing the generation of undesirable tension on the secondary membrane 4.

[0135] Furthermore, the first row of the insulating panel 22 shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 may be composed of a foam with a higher density than the subsequent rows, and a transition zone as described in International Publication No. 2019077253 pamphlet may be provided. A similar embodiment viewed from a perspective similar to FIG. 9 is shown in FIG. 13, and the same or similar elements are denoted by the same reference numerals as in FIG. 9. Here, the first row of the second type of secondary insulating panel 122 is composed of a foam with a higher density than the insulating panels 22 in the next row. The density is, for example, between 170 kg / m 3 ~210 kg / m 3 and, for example, 130 kg / m 3 is.

[0136] FIG. 13 also shows another embodiment of the first row of the primary insulating panel. Here, the first row of the primary insulating panel 154 includes two blocks of foams 66 and 67 arranged longitudinally perpendicular to the edge 100 between the cover plate and the bottom plate. The densities of the foams 66 and 67 forming the two blocks are different. The foam block 66 is composed of a foam with a higher density than the foam block 67, and the density is, for example, between 170 kg / m 3 ~210 kg / m 3 and, for example, 130 kg / m 3 is set. In particular, the foam block 66 may be composed of the same density as the polymer foam 63 or the foam in the first row of the secondary insulating panel 122. The interface 68 between the two blocks of foams 66 and 67 is preferably free, that is, not adhered. The interface 68 is in series with the first row of the secondary insulating panel 122 in the vertical direction. This is preferable for gradually shifting the difference in compression and / or contraction between different regions of the tank wall rigidity.

[0137] The bottom plate and cover plate of the primary insulation panel 154 may be attached to the blocks of form 66 and 67.

[0138] Here too, the threaded studs 52 are supported, for example, in a direction perpendicular to the edge 100, on the first row of the secondary insulation panel 122, equidistant from both edges of the secondary insulation panel. The threaded studs 52 secure the primary insulation panel 154 at the location of the densest foam block 66. Alternatively, the threaded studs 52 may secure the primary insulation panel 154 at the location of the foam block 67.

[0139] Next, another embodiment of the corner region of the tank will be described with reference to Figures 14 and 15. In this embodiment, the main difference is the structure of the first type of secondary insulation panel 121. Elements similar to or identical to those in Figures 1 to 3 have the same reference numerals as those figures.

[0140] The secondary insulation panels 121 are designed so that threaded studs 46, intended to secure the primary corner pieces 37, are fixed between the two secondary insulation panels 121. To this end, the secondary insulation panels 121 are arranged in rows parallel to the edges, with a portion of them located below the planar projection 12, as described above. The secondary insulation panels 121 are fixed to the support wall 3 by retaining members 29, which are positioned between the secondary insulation panels 121, as described above.

[0141] As can be seen better in Figure 14, the secondary insulation panel 121 has a parallelepiped shape and includes two side support webs 87 and a central support web 88 extending perpendicularly to the edge 100. The side support webs 87 and central support web 88, the bottom plate 41 and the cover plate 40 may be made of plywood or composite material. They define compartments filled with insulating packing 92, such as glass wool. The cover plate 40 features a recess 91 that accommodates the planar projection 12.

[0142] A window 85 is formed at the top of the side support web 87, into which the edge of a metal support plate 83 is preferably inserted. The metal support plate extends between two adjacent secondary insulation panels 121 above the fixing member 29. Preferably, an insulation block (not shown) is housed between the fixing member 29 and the support plate 83, between the two adjacent secondary insulation panels 121, so as to reduce the space available for convection. This insulation block allows the support plate 83 to be supported when the tank is assembled.

[0143] Thanks to the window 85, the support plate 83 secures the side support web 87 to the upper edge of the window 85 across its entire thickness, thereby ensuring a tear-resistant fastener. Similar to the insert 47, the support plate 83 can also secure two threaded studs 46.

[0144] In this embodiment, the window 86 is formed on the underside of the side support web 87, and the retaining member 29 can be fixed to the lower edge of the window 86 across the entire thickness of the side support web 87. Therefore, since there is no thin strip 45, it is possible to relatively reduce the spacing between the secondary insulation panels 121.

[0145] Alternatively, windows 85 and / or 86 may be formed in part with respect to the thickness of the side support web 87. The contours of windows 85 and 86 may be different or the same as shown. For example, window 85 may be replaced with two windows similar to window 86. In this case, it is assumed that a notch is provided in the edge of the support plate 83 so that the portion of the side support web 87 located between the two windows is accommodated within the notch.

[0146] In the embodiment shown in Figure 15, the secondary insulation panel 221 has a parallelepiped shape similar to that of the secondary insulation panel 121. Elements similar to or identical to those of the secondary insulation panel 121 are indicated by the same reference numerals. Instead of a window 85, an upper thin strip 93 is provided on the side support web 87, extending parallel to the upper edge of the side support web 87, and is attached to the side support web 87, for example, by gluing and / or stapling. The lower surface of the upper thin strip 93 allows the support plate 83 to be fixed in the same manner as a window 85.

[0147] Instead of the window 86, a lower thin strip 45 is provided on the side support web 87 and is attached to the side support web 87, for example, by being glued and / or stapled, so as to work in conjunction with the retaining member 29 as described above.

[0148] Therefore, the secondary insulation panels 121 or 221 can secure the threaded studs 46 intended to fasten the primary corner pieces 37 along the interface between the two secondary insulation panels 121 or 221.

[0149] Referring to Figure 11, the notch of the methane tanker 70 shows a typical rectangular prism-shaped sealed insulated tank 71 that is installed within the ship's double hull 72. The walls of the tank 71 include a primary sealing barrier intended to be in contact with the LNG contained in the tank, a secondary sealing barrier positioned between the primary sealing barrier and the ship's double hull 72, and two insulating barriers positioned between the primary sealing barrier and the secondary sealing barrier and between the secondary sealing barrier and the double hull 72, respectively.

[0150] The cargo handling piping 73, located on the upper deck of the ship, can be connected to a sea or port terminal by appropriate connectors in a manner known to itself, allowing LNG cargo to be transferred from or to the tank 71.

[0151] Figure 11 shows an example of a marine terminal including a loading / unloading station 75, underwater piping 76, and ground facilities 77. The loading / unloading station 75 is a fixed offshore facility including a movable arm 74 and a tower 78 supporting the movable arm 74. The movable arm 74 carries a bundle of flexible, insulated tubing 79 that can be connected to cargo handling piping 73. The oriented movable arm 74 fits all methane tanker loading gauges. Connecting piping (not shown) extends into the tower 78. The loading / unloading station 75 enables the loading and unloading of methane tankers 70 to and from the ground facilities 77. The ground facilities include a liquefied gas storage tank 80 and connecting piping 81 that connects to the loading / unloading station 75 via underwater piping 76. The underwater piping 76 enables the transfer of liquefied gas between the loading / unloading station 75 and the land-based facilities 77 over long distances, for example, 5 km, thereby allowing the methane tanker 70 to be moored away from the shore during loading and unloading operations.

[0152] Pumps mounted on the ship 70 and / or pumps installed in the ground equipment 77 and / or pumps installed in the loading / unloading station 75 are used to generate the pressure necessary for transferring the liquefied gas.

[0153] Although the present invention has been described in relation to several specific embodiments, it is clear that the present invention is by no means limited thereto and, where within the scope of the invention, encompasses all technical equivalents and combinations of the means described herein.

[0154] The use of the verbs "include" or "equip" and their conjugations does not preclude the existence of elements or other steps other than those described in the claims.

[0155] In the claims, no reference numerals enclosed in parentheses should be construed as limiting the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A sealed, insulated tank integrated with a support structure, the tank comprising a first tank wall (1) fixed to a first support wall (3) and a second tank wall (101) fixed to a second support wall (103), wherein the second support wall (103) is joined to the first support wall at the edge (100) of the support structure. Each of the first and second tank walls includes at least one sealing membrane (4, 104) and one thermal insulation barrier (2, 102) disposed between the sealing membrane and the support wall. The sealing membrane (4,104) includes a plurality of strakes, each strake including a flat central portion that rests on the upper surface of the heat insulating barrier, each strake further including two protruding edges that project inward from the flat central portion toward the inside of the tank, and the plurality of strakes are arranged side by side and sealed together by the two protruding edges, The tank wall includes metal corner girders (10, 30) arranged parallel to the edge (100) and fixed to the first support wall and the second support wall (3, 103), the corner girders including a first planar flange parallel to the first support wall and a second planar flange parallel to the second support wall, the two planar flanges being firmly and tightly connected to each other in a connection region to form the corner of the sealing membrane, and each of the first and second planar flanges having a receiving portion (12, 30) extending from the connection region at a position spaced apart from the edge, The first portion of the thermal insulation barrier is located on the lower side of the proximal side of the receiving portion of the planar flange (12, 30) and includes at least one row of first thermal insulation panels (21, 121, 221), Each of the first insulation panels (21, 121, 221) includes a cover plate (40), a bottom plate (41), and spacers (42, 87, 88) that extend in the thickness direction of the tank wall between the bottom plate and the cover plate and hold the bottom plate and the cover plate spaced apart from each other. The second portion of the thermal insulation barrier, which is further from the edge than the first portion of the thermal insulation barrier, includes at least one row of second thermal insulation panels (22, 122), Each of the second insulation panels includes a cover plate (24), a bottom plate (23), and an insulation foam block (25) inserted between the bottom plate and the cover plate, wherein the insulation foam block holds the cover plate separated from the bottom plate. A tank characterized in that the ends of the strakes (32) of the sealing membrane (4,104) are welded to the distal side of the receiving portion (30) of the planar flange, and the distal side of the receiving portion of the planar flange extends over at least one row of second insulating panels of the second portion of the insulating barrier.

2. The tank according to claim 1, wherein the first planar flange and the second planar flange each further include a fixing portion (11, 111) extending toward the support structure with respect to the connection region, and the fixing portions of the first planar flange and the second planar flange are connected to the second support wall (103) and the first support wall (3), respectively.

3. The tank according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sealing membrane is a secondary sealing membrane (4, 104), the insulating barrier is a secondary insulating barrier (2, 102) disposed between the secondary sealing membrane and the support wall, and the first tank wall and the second tank wall each further include a primary sealing membrane (6, 106) intended to be in contact with the product contained in the tank, and a primary insulating barrier (5, 105) disposed between the primary sealing membrane and the secondary sealing membrane.

4. The primary sealing membrane (6, 106) includes a metal plate, the metal plate includes a plurality of parallel first ridges (56, 156), a plurality of second ridges (55, 155) perpendicular to the first ridges, and a flat portion located between the first and second ridges and resting on the upper surface of the primary insulating barrier, The tank wall includes a row of primary corner pieces (37) arranged parallel to the edge, each of which includes a metal angle iron (39) to which the edge portions of the primary sealing membranes (6, 106) of the first and second tank walls are welded, and a rigid heat insulating piece (38) positioned between the metal angle iron (39) and the corner beams (10, 30). The primary corner piece is placed on the inner surfaces of the first and second planar flanges of the corner beam. The tank according to claim 3, characterized in that the corner retaining members (46, 62) hold the primary corner piece (37) in the secondary insulating barrier (2, 102) of the first tank wall and the second tank wall, and the corner retaining members (46, 62) penetrate the receiving portion (30) of the planar flange of the corner girder and are sealed by the receiving portion (30) of the planar flange of the corner girder.

5. The primary sealing membrane (6, 106) includes a metal plate, the metal plate includes a plurality of parallel first ridges (56, 156), a plurality of second ridges (55, 155) perpendicular to the first ridges, and a flat portion located between the first and second ridges and resting on the upper surface of the primary insulating barrier, The tank wall includes a row of primary corner pieces (37) arranged parallel to the edge, each of which includes a metal angle iron (39) to which the edge portions of the primary sealing membranes (6, 106) of the first and second tank walls are welded, and a rigid heat insulating piece (38) positioned between the metal angle iron (39) and the corner beams (10, 30). The primary corner piece is placed on the inner surfaces of the first and second planar flanges of the corner beam. The tank according to claim 3, characterized in that the corner holding members (46, 62) hold the primary corner piece (37) in the first support wall and the second support wall (3, 103), and the corner holding members (46, 62) penetrate the receiving portion (30) of the planar flange of the corner girder and are sealed by the receiving portion (30) of the planar flange of the corner girder.

6. The tank according to claim 4, wherein the corner holding member (46) includes a plurality of metal rods (46), the plurality of metal rods are fixed in series with the row of primary corner pieces (37) to the first insulation panels (21, 121, 221) of the secondary insulation barrier, and protrude through the receiving portion (30) of the planar flange of the corner girder and cooperate with the primary corner pieces.

7. The tank according to claim 6, wherein the corner retaining member includes a stirrup (48) fixed under the cover plate of the first insulation panel (21), the stirrup comprising a central plate parallel to the cover plate, two fixing protrusions extending perpendicularly from the central plate and fixed to two spacers (42) of the first insulation panel, and a metal rod (49, 46) fixed to the central plate and penetrating the cover plate (40) of the first insulation panel.

8. The tank according to claim 5, characterized in that the corner holding member (62) includes a base fixed to a support wall in series with the primary corner piece, and a coupler held by the base, extending through the thickness of the secondary heat insulating barrier (2,102) and the receiving portion (30) of the planar flange, and engaging with the rigid heat insulating piece (38).

9. The tank according to claim 8, wherein the coupler (62) includes a secondary coupler that works in conjunction with the first insulating panel of the secondary insulating barrier to hold the first insulating panel on the support wall, and a primary coupler that is supported by the secondary coupler and works in conjunction with the rigid insulating piece (38) to hold the rigid insulating piece (38).

10. The second portion of the secondary thermal barrier includes a first row of second thermal panels (22, 122), the first row being adjacent to the first portion of the secondary thermal barrier, The primary thermal barrier (5) includes a first row of primary thermal panels (54, 154) adjacent to the row of primary corner pieces (37), The tank according to any one of claims 4 to 9, characterized in that the first row of the second insulation panel (22, 122) supports a row of primary holding members (52) for holding the first row of the primary insulation panel (54, 154) on the secondary insulation barrier (2, 102) of the first tank wall and the second tank wall.

11. The tank according to claim 10, characterized in that the receiving portion (30) of the planar flange extends in a direction perpendicular to the edge, on the first row of the second heat insulating panel (22), to the end of the row of primary retaining members (52), and the primary retaining members (52) penetrate the receiving portion (30) of the planar flange and are sealed by the receiving portion (30) of the planar flange.

12. The tank according to claim 10, characterized in that the row of primary retaining members (52) is arranged on the first row (22, 122) of the second insulating panel, which is further from the edge than the receiving portion (30) of the planar flange, in a direction perpendicular to the edge, and the primary retaining members penetrate the strake (32) of the secondary sealing membrane and are sealed by the strake (32) of the secondary sealing membrane.

13. The tank according to any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein the second insulation panel (22) is characterized by a relaxation slot (65) that extends parallel to the edge (100), penetrates the upper part of the cover plate (24) and the insulation foam block (25), and extends within the thickness of the second insulation panel, and the primary holding member (52) is supported by the second insulation panel, and the primary holding member (52) is located between the relaxation slot (65) and the edge of the second insulation panel facing the edge (100) in a direction perpendicular to the edge (100).

14. The tank according to any one of claims 10 to 13, characterized in that the first row (22, 122) of the second insulation panel supports the row of primary holding members (52) at a position approximately half the dimension of the second insulation panel in a direction perpendicular to the edge (100).

15. A tank according to any one of claims 10 to 14, characterized in that the first row (122) of the second insulation panel comprises an insulating foam (25) having a first density, the second portion of the secondary insulating barrier comprises a second row of the second insulation panel (22) that is further from the edge (100) than the first row of the second insulation panel, and the second row of the second insulation panel comprises an insulating foam (25) having a second density lower than the first density.

16. The tank according to any one of claims 10 to 15, characterized in that, in a direction perpendicular to the edge, the dimensions of the primary corner piece (37) are greater than the dimensions of the first portion of the secondary insulating barrier, such that the row of the primary corner piece (37) extends to the first row (22, 122) of the second insulating panel.

17. The tank according to any one of claims 10 to 16, characterized in that the dimensions of the primary corner piece (37) are smaller than the dimensions of the first portion of the secondary insulating barrier, such that the first row of primary insulating panels (54) extends to the first portion of the secondary insulating barrier in a direction perpendicular to the edge.

18. The tank according to any one of claims 10 to 17, wherein the rigid heat insulating piece (38) of the primary corner piece (37) comprises a heat insulating foam (63) having a third density, and the primary heat insulating panel (54) comprises a cover plate, a bottom plate, and a heat insulating foam block inserted between the bottom plate and the cover plate, wherein the cover plate is held at a distance from the bottom plate by the heat insulating foam block, and the heat insulating foam block has a fourth density lower than the third density.

19. A tank according to claim 1 or 2, wherein in at least one tank wall, the longitudinal direction of the strake is perpendicular to the edge (100), and the sealing membrane further includes a row of edge strakes (32) with flat edges (33) that form the ends of the strake of the sealing membrane to be welded to the corner beams (10, 30), the edge strakes (32) having projecting edges parallel to the longitudinal direction of the strake, the projecting edges being progressively smaller in size on the side facing the corner beams (10, 30).

20. The tank according to any one of claims 1 to 19, wherein the corner girder includes a base cross (10) having a first planar projection (12) parallel to the first support wall and a second planar projection (112) parallel to the second support wall, the connection region is formed between the first planar projection and the second planar projection, and the corner girder further includes two planar metal pieces (30, 130) extending parallel to the first and second support walls, respectively, to form the receiving portion of the planar flange.

21. A vessel (70) for transporting fluids, comprising a double hull (72) and a tank (71) according to any one of claims 1 to 20 disposed within the double hull (72).

22. A fluid transfer system comprising a vessel (70) as described in claim 21, insulated piping (73, 79, 76, 81) arranged to connect the tank (71) of the vessel to a floating or ground storage facility (77), and a pump for transporting fluid from the floating or ground storage facility to the tank of the vessel, or from the tank of the vessel to the floating or ground storage facility, via the insulated piping.

23. A method for loading and unloading onto a vessel (70) according to claim 21, characterized in that a fluid is delivered from a floating or ground-based storage facility (77) to the tank (71) of the vessel, or from the tank of the vessel to the floating or ground-based storage facility, via insulated piping (73, 79, 76, 81).

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