System for connecting a plurality of wave reinforcements of a corrugated membrane of a sealed and thermally insulating tank

Abstract

A system connecting multiple corrugated reinforcing members of a corrugated membrane of a closed insulated tank. The present invention relates to a system for connecting a plurality of corrugated reinforcing members (5, 11, 12, 13) of a corrugated membrane (1) of a sealed insulating tank (71), comprising a connecting element (20) for connecting the corrugated reinforcing members (5, 11, 12, 13) inserted into the corrugated reinforcing members (5, 11, 12, 13) to be connected to each other, and a punching tool (30, 40). The punching tool (30) is configured to symmetrically punch the corrugated reinforcing members (11) with respect to a vertical axis of symmetry (X'X). The punching tool (30) comprises at least two punching heads (32, 33) that create at least two punching sections symmetrically arranged on the upper part of the corrugated reinforcing members (11) to fix the position of the connecting element between the corrugated reinforcing members (11) in order to connect and fix the corrugated reinforcing members (11) to each other.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of closed insulated tanks, and is not limited to tanks having a corrugated membrane as defined in the “IGC Code,” that is, the “International Code for the Construction and Equipment of Ships Carrying Liquefied Gases in Bulk.” These closed insulated tanks may be made of onshore or offshore tanks (“Global Base Storage (GBS)”).

[0002] In particular, the present invention relates to the field of closed insulated tanks for the storage and / or transport of low-temperature liquids or liquefied gases, such as tanks for transporting liquefied petroleum gas (also called LPG) or liquefied natural gas (LNG), having a temperature of, for example, -50°C to 0°C. These tanks may be installed on land or on floating structures. In the case of floating structures, the tanks may be intended for transporting liquefied gases or for receiving liquefied gases used as fuel for the propulsion of said floating structures.

[0003] The present invention first relates to a punching tool and a related punching system used for fixing connecting elements of a wave reinforcement of a sealed insulating container. It is used in particular for repairing wave reinforcements, including connecting repaired wave reinforcements together, but is not limited to such use.

[0004] The present invention also relates to a storage facility comprising a sealed insulated tank, wherein the facility may be composed of a vessel in which the corrugated reinforcing members are punched using a punching tool according to the present invention to connect the corrugated reinforcing members to each other by means of a connecting element. Background Technology

[0005] Currently, when repairing corrugated reinforcement, the aforementioned wavy membrane must be cut and the corrugated reinforcement must also be cut in order to replace the damaged or defective parts with a new corrugated reinforcement part or a corrugated reinforcement part capable of performing the same function.

[0006] Once the replacement of at least a portion of the aforementioned corrugated reinforcement is completed, it is necessary to combine various parts of the corrugated reinforcement—so-called new parts and parts of the original corrugated reinforcement—so that the corrugated reinforcement can perform its function in a similar or comparable manner. Currently, there is no system for repairing all or part of the damaged corrugated reinforcement, or more precisely, a system for replacing such corrugated reinforcement or a portion of it and then re-inserting and securing them beneath the corrugated portion of the aforementioned wavy membrane. As will become evident from the following, if the corrugated reinforcement is not properly secured beneath the corrugated portion of the aforementioned wavy membrane, it cannot effectively perform its function of mechanical resistance against sloshing within the tank. The problem to be solved

[0007] The applicant intends to improve the disadvantages of the current process for replacing damaged or defective parts of the corrugated reinforcement of the wavy membrane of a closed insulated tank. means of solving the problem

[0008] After conducting various experiments and tests, the applicant has developed a device for repairing corrugated reinforcing materials, which is mainly composed of a punching tool and a connecting element that connects the repaired corrugated reinforcing materials, capable of not only connecting and fixing the corrugated reinforcing materials to one another but also ensuring that the corrugated reinforcing materials are connected and fixed to the corrugated portion or wavy portion of the wavy membrane in which the corrugated reinforcing materials are received.

[0009] Accordingly, the present invention relates to a tool for punching a corrugated reinforcing member symmetrically with respect to the vertical axis of symmetry of the corrugated reinforcing member, and a tool for punching a corrugated reinforcing member of a corrugated membrane of a closed insulating tank suitable for this purpose.

[0010] The punching tool according to the present invention is characterized by including at least two punching heads that form at least two punching portions symmetrically arranged in the upper portions of the plurality of corrugated reinforcing members to fix the position of a connecting element between the plurality of corrugated reinforcing members so as to connect and fix the plurality of corrugated reinforcing members to each other.

[0011] The expression “corrugated membrane” is understood to indicate that this corrugated membrane is a primary membrane, that is, that this membrane is in direct contact with the very cold or cryogenic liquid contained in the tank, and that this membrane has a plurality of corrugations or waves—or protuberances—formed by this membrane and directed toward the interior of the tank. These corrugations or protuberances are intended to prevent the phenomenon of thermal shrinkage of the membrane caused by contact with the very cold or cryogenic liquid contained in the tank.

[0012] Other advantageous features of the present invention are briefly presented below:

[0013] According to the first embodiment of the present invention, the punching tool is composed of a striking tool disposed in the corrugated reinforcing member at one of the longitudinal ends that fit into the outer shape of at least the upper part of the corrugated reinforcing member.

[0014] In relation to this first embodiment, the punching head is preferably made of a pin, and when the striking tool is struck, for example, with a hammer, the corrugated reinforcing material is punched by the pin. For example, striking is performed manually by an operator using a hammer, a large hammer, or any suitable element.

[0015] Still in relation to this first embodiment, the pin is preferably positioned vertically from the striking tool, that is, along a vertical axis of symmetry. According to another variation shown in FIG. 4, the pin is positioned along a horizontal axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (Y'Y) and the vertical axis (X'X) of the corrugated reinforcement.

[0016] According to the second embodiment, the punching tool is composed of a manually operable clamp.

[0017] In relation to this second embodiment, the punching head is preferably implemented in an alternative form of a cylinder or a cone. As will be easily understood, any shape capable of substantially deforming the corrugated reinforcement may be used for these punching heads.

[0018] In relation to this second embodiment, the clamp is preferably made of metal and has a handle having a length of at least 20 centimeters. This provides an increased actuating force that allows the operator to perform the punching operation without any difficulty or discomfort, so that the operator can repeat the operation as many times as necessary.

[0019] The present invention also relates to the use of the punching tool briefly presented above for punching the corrugated reinforcing members of a corrugated membrane of a sealed insulating tank to fix the position of a connecting element between a plurality of corrugated reinforcing members.

[0020] The present invention also relates to a system for connecting a plurality of corrugated reinforcing members of a corrugated membrane of a closed insulating tank, wherein the system comprises a connecting element for the corrugated reinforcing members inserted into the plurality of corrugated reinforcing members to be connected to each other and a punching tool concisely presented above, and the position of the connecting element relative to the corrugated reinforcing members is fixed by the punching tool.

[0021] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the connecting element is preferably made of a cylindrical metal rod.

[0022] Preferably, the connecting element is fixed to one of the ends of the corrugated reinforcing member.

[0023] According to one embodiment, a system for connecting a plurality of corrugated reinforcing members of a corrugated membrane of a closed insulated tank comprises a connecting element for connecting the corrugated reinforcing members inserted into the corrugated reinforcing members to be connected to each other, and a punching tool, wherein the punching tool is suitable for punching the corrugated reinforcing members symmetrically with respect to a vertical axis of symmetry, and the punching tool comprises at least two punching heads that create at least two punching portions symmetrically arranged in the upper portion of the plurality of corrugated reinforcing members to fix the position of the connecting element between the plurality of corrugated reinforcing members so as to connect and fix the plurality of corrugated reinforcing members to each other. It will be easily understood that the plurality of corrugated reinforcing members can be punched together by using the punching tool multiple times.

[0024] The present invention also relates to a method for connecting a plurality of corrugated reinforcing members of a wavy membrane of a closed insulating tank, wherein the method

[0025] - A step of connecting a plurality of corrugated reinforcing members using a connecting element, preferably made of a metal rod, which is inserted into a plurality of corrugated reinforcing members;

[0026] - A step of fixing the connecting element to the corrugated reinforcing member using the punching tool briefly described above;

[0027] It includes.

[0028] Finally, the present invention relates to a storage facility comprising a support structure and a sealed insulating tank installed in the internal space of the support structure, wherein the storage facility comprises at least one wavy membrane having a corrugated reinforcing member, and the corrugated reinforcing members are connected to each other by connecting elements, preferably made of metal rods, which are inserted into the corrugated reinforcing members.

[0029] The above storage facility is characterized in that the above connecting element is fixed by being punched, for example, into at least a part of the corrugated reinforcing member using the punching tool briefly described above. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0030] The invention will be better understood and other objects, details, features, and advantages of the invention will be more clearly understood through the following description of a plurality of specific embodiments of the invention, which are non-limiting and provided merely for illustrative purposes in connection with the attached drawings. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing a cut wavy membrane to replace a damaged or defective part of a corrugated reinforcement. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a plurality of large corrugated reinforcing members for a large corrugated section of a corrugated membrane, a connecting element to be inserted into the upper part of the large corrugated reinforcing member, a plurality of identical small corrugated reinforcing members for a small corrugated section of the same corrugated membrane, and a related connecting element. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the same corrugated reinforcement as shown in FIG. 1 after replacing the damaged / defective part of the corrugated reinforcement, with the connecting element shown in a state where it is almost completely inserted into a different part forming the repaired corrugated reinforcement. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a punching tool of the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a modified example of the punching tool of the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a punching tool of the second embodiment. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing two variations of a punching head in relation to a punching tool of the second embodiment. FIGS. 8A and FIGS. 8B are schematic diagrams of the ends of a corrugated reinforcing member after punching the corrugated reinforcing member with a punching tool of the second embodiment having both of the two punching heads shown in FIG. 7. Figure 9 is a schematic diagram with a portion cut to show the interior of the ship's liquefied gas storage facility and the loading / unloading terminal of the tanks of the liquefied gas storage facility. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0031] Below, the present invention will be described using a specific type of corrugated reinforcement, but it will be readily understood that the present invention is not limited to this type of corrugated reinforcement. For example, the punching tool and the connecting element have suitable shapes and geometric structures as they are fitted to the external shape of this type of corrugated reinforcement and the internal geometric structure of the reinforcement, that is, the channel or conduit and cross member into which the connecting element is to be inserted. Nevertheless, the present invention provides a more comprehensive solution regardless of the external shape and internal geometric structure of the reinforcement, in that one side provides a punching tool and the other side provides a connecting element, and one side cooperates with the other to achieve the purpose of connecting the corrugated reinforcement parts to each other and fixing them together, as well as fixing the corrugated reinforcement parts to the corrugated or wave-shaped part above these corrugated reinforcements. As will be readily understood, the shape of the corrugated or wave-shaped part determines the shape of the corrugated reinforcement at least partially, and the present invention is not limited only to the type of wave-shaped membrane illustrated in the attached drawings.

[0032] For example, a closed insulated tank for the storage and transport of cryogenic fluids, such as liquefied natural gas (LNG), comprises multiple tank walls, each having a multilayer structure.

[0033] From the outside to the inside of the tank, the tank wall comprises an insulating barrier fixed to a support structure by a retaining member and a sealing membrane supported by the insulating barrier and configured to come into contact with a cryogenic fluid contained in the tank.

[0034] In particular, the support structure may be a self-supporting metal sheet or, more generally, any type of rigid partition with suitable mechanical properties. The support structure may be formed particularly by the hull or double hull of a ship. The support structure has multiple walls defining the general shape of the tank, typically a polyhedral shape.

[0035] The tank may also include a plurality of insulation barriers and sealing membranes. For example, from the outside to the inside of the tank, the tank may include a secondary insulation barrier fixed to a support structure, a secondary sealing membrane supported by the secondary insulation barrier, a primary insulation barrier placed on the secondary sealing membrane, and a primary sealing membrane placed on the primary insulation barrier. The insulation barriers may be made of a plurality of materials in various ways according to known techniques, such as those disclosed in the literature WO 2017017337 or WO 2017006044. The sealing membrane may be made of a wavy rectangular metal plate having a series of wavy sections of different or similar sizes.

[0036] The present invention relates to a sealing membrane in which the sealing membrane is wavy, meaning that the sealing membrane exhibits a corrugated portion or a wave-like portion, and said corrugated portion or wave-like portion is suitable for accommodating a corrugated reinforcement for mechanically protecting the wavy sealing membrane against the movement of liquid within a tank, particularly due to known phenomena such as sloshing.

[0037] As can be partially seen in FIGS. 1 and FIG. 3, the wavy sealing membrane (1) typically has two sets of vertical wavy sections (2, 3). Accordingly, the sealing membrane (1) has a plurality of intersection points (4) corresponding to the intersection points between the two sets of wavy sections (2, 3).

[0038] A reinforcing piece, also called a corrugated reinforcing piece (5), is typically hollow and allows a gas—typically dinitrogen—to circulate between the corrugated section (2, 3) and the support section (6) by passing it through the reinforcing piece (5) in order to inactivate the thermal insulation barrier and detect leaks. This corrugated reinforcing piece (5) is positioned below the corrugated section (2, 3) between two consecutive intersection points (4), so it is interrupted at the intersection points (4).

[0039] However, when the corrugated section (2, 3) is subjected to asymmetrical stresses, the corrugated reinforcing member (5) undergoes joint displacement along with a part of the corrugated section (2, 3), wave section, or undulation in which the corrugated reinforcing member is housed. This joint displacement of the corrugated reinforcing member (5) and the wave section (2, 3) can cause twisting of the wave section (1) at the level of the intersection (4), which is why rails (7) extending from the intersection (4) are installed in the four directions of the corrugated section, and the rails themselves may include connecting elements (8). These rail assemblies (7) and connecting elements (8) are intended to prevent twisting of the corrugated reinforcing member (5) on both sides of the intersection (4). The structure of such a "rail (7)-connecting element (8)" assembly is known and is described in more detail in document FR 3084347 filed in the name of the applicant.

[0040] In addition, regarding the continuity of what was just described above, it is absolutely important to ensure continuity by perfectly aligning the corrugated reinforcing member (5) placed in the corrugated section (2, 3) or the wavy section with the corrugated reinforcing member (5) that was originally placed below the corrugated section (2, 3) or the corrugated reinforcing member (5) that replaced a defective or damaged part. The present invention, although not limited to this application, has at least a part of the corrugated reinforcing member (5) as a most characteristic object of the present invention.

[0041] As can be seen in FIG. 1, the corrugated reinforcing member (5) is hollow and has a lower portion (10) into which at least a portion of the rail (7) is inserted, and the corrugated reinforcing member (5) also includes a hollow upper portion (22) for accommodating a connecting element (20), and the function of the connecting element (20) is to connect the corrugated reinforcing member (5) or the corrugated reinforcing member portions (11, 12, 13) to each other.

[0042] In the example of FIG. 1, the damaged portion (9) of the corrugated reinforcing member (5) may have a length of at least 50 millimeters (mm), but this length is not limited in relation to the present invention. Before cutting the damaged portion (9) of the corrugated reinforcing member (5) to be replaced, in particular to enable the insertion of a connecting element (20) to connect different portions (11, 12, 13) of the corrugated reinforcing member (5) used to replace one corrugated reinforcing member (5) that was initially located below the corrugated portion or wave portion (2), in the example of FIG. 1, the corrugated membrane (1) naturally needs to be cut to an appropriate size to enable the insertion of a connecting element (20) to connect the different portions (11, 12, 13) of the corrugated reinforcing member (5)—typically three in the example of FIG. 1— FIG. 1 shows a state that has already been cut.

[0043] When the initial corrugated reinforcing member (5) is cut, the corrugated reinforcing member (5) is represented as three parts (11, 12, 13) as shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 2 shows two sets (14, 14'), each of the three parts (11, 12, 13) of the corrugated reinforcing member (5), as well as a connecting element (20) consisting of a substantially cylindrical rod between these corrugated reinforcing member parts (11, 12, 13). These two sets (14, 14') are particularly intended to demonstrate that the present invention is applicable regardless of the size or dimensions of the corrugated reinforcing member (5), and consequently the size or dimensions of the corrugated portions (2, 3). Typically, the parts (11, 12, 13) of the corrugated reinforcing member (5) of these two sets (14, 14') are, MARK III ® Large corrugated reinforcing member (3) and small corrugated reinforcing member (2) are respectively shown for the primary sealing membrane of the type; however, it will be easy to understand that the present invention is not limited to this type of corrugated membrane (1) and can be applied to all cases including a corrugated membrane, or a membrane with a wave shape or undulation shape, in which the sealed insulating tank can accommodate a corrugated reinforcing member (5).

[0044] After cutting, the initially placed corrugated reinforcing member (5) is replaced with three parts (11, 12, 13) of the corrugated reinforcing member (5) as shown in FIG. 2—that is, two end parts (11, 13) and one central part (12), which is the damaged part (9) of the replaced corrugated reinforcing member (5) in the example shown in FIG. 1. Additionally, to connect these three parts (11, 12, 13) of the corrugated reinforcing member (5), a connecting element of said parts (11, 12, 13) is used, that is, a cylindrical rod (20), which is inserted into the hollow upper part (22) of the different parts (11, 12, 13) of the corrugated reinforcing member (5).

[0045] It should be noted that the term “wave reinforcement parts” is used to refer to elements (11, 12, 13) that constitute the wave reinforcement (5) independently or as themselves.

[0046] FIG. 3 shows that this connecting element (20) is inserted into each hollow upper portion (22) of the three parts (11, 12, 13) forming the initial corrugated reinforcing member (5). When the connecting element (20) is inserted into the upper portion (22) of the corrugated reinforcing member parts (11, 12, 13) of the corrugated reinforcing member (5), the length of the connecting element (20) corresponds to the length of the said parts (11, 12, 13) of the corrugated reinforcing member (5), and the end (25) of the connecting element (20) reaches the height of the end (26) of each end portion (11, 13) of the corrugated reinforcing member (5). The end (25) or end portion of the connecting element (20) may be slightly recessed from the edge portion (26) of the end portion (11, 13) of the corrugated reinforcing member (5) or may be slightly protruded from the same edge portion (26).

[0047] After performing the connection work of different parts (11, 12, 13) of the corrugated reinforcing member (5) using the connecting element (20), a punching tool is used, the function of which is to mechanically connect a part of the outer wall of the end corrugated reinforcing member (11) and / or the end corrugated reinforcing member (13) to the end (25) of the connecting element (20), that is, to at least one of the two ends (25) of the connecting element (20) for connecting to the corrugated reinforcing member (5) by punching or crimping. Of course, it is preferable that the end part (13) be punched in the same way as the other end part (11) so that the connecting element (20) is securely fixed at both ends, and once one of the two ends is fixed, the corrugated reinforcing member can be inserted under the dedicated wave.

[0048] According to the first embodiment of the punching tool shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the first embodiment of the punching tool is composed of a striking tool (30); that is, to perform punching, the operator must strike the striking tool (30) using, for example, a hammer or a small sledge hammer. The striking tool (30) includes a body (31) having a shape that is complementary to or formed to the shape of the upper contour of the part (11) or part (13) of the corrugated reinforcing member (5), so that the body (31) can be placed or positioned directly on the corrugated reinforcing member (5), more precisely on the outer wall of the corrugated reinforcing member (5). Thus, the striking tool (30) has an outer shape that is generally an inverted U shape, and the central concave part fits the contour of the corrugated reinforcing member (5) when the striking tool (30) is placed on the corrugated reinforcing member (5). The main body (31) has two punching heads (32, 33)—in this case, pins—and these two punching heads (32, 33) are each configured to make a lateral punch (50) in the corrugated reinforcing member (5). The complementary parts (35) of the main body (31) close the striking tool (30) so that the pins (32, 33) are firmly fixed to their respective housings.

[0049] In the variation of FIG. 4, the pin, or punching head (32, 33), extends horizontally along an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (Y'Y) of the corrugated reinforcing member (5), whereas in the variation of FIG. 5, the pin (32, 33) extends vertically along the axis (X'X). In both variations of FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, when the punching tool (30) strikes, the two pins (32, 33) are configured to punch at roughly the same location on the corrugated reinforcing member (5), that is, according to a preferred embodiment, they are configured to punch symmetrically with respect to the vertical axis (X'X) at the upper end, and are offset laterally from the corrugated reinforcing member (5) near the top of the corrugated reinforcing member (5) to block the cylindrical rod, which is the connecting element (20), at the slot or upper insertion part (22) of the corrugated reinforcing member (11, 13) or the corrugated reinforcing member (5).

[0050] In the variations illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, the punching tool is composed of a clamp (40) having two punching heads (41, 42), as in the first embodiment, and the two punching heads (41, 42) can be operated directly using a handle or lever (43, 44) having a length ideally sufficient—at least 20 centimeters (cm), or even at least 25 to 30 cm—to reduce the force required to punch by the strong action (moment of force) of the lever arm. The clamp (40) may be made of steel, more precisely stainless steel, or may even be made of aluminum, plastic, or composite materials to reduce weight.

[0051] The above punching heads (41, 42) are made of metal, preferably stainless steel, so as to be suitable for the function of punching the corrugated reinforcing material (5) without damaging the punching heads (41, 42). As can be seen in FIG. 7, these punching heads (41, 42) may have different shapes or parts. For example, the punching heads (41, 42) may be provided with a conical part or shape (45) or substantially / generally a cylindrical shape (46), preferably the punching heads (41, 42) have a conical part or shape (45).

[0052] In FIGS. 8A and 8B, it can be seen that the punching tool, in this case a clamp (40), acts on the corrugated reinforcing member (5) to block or fix the position of the connecting element (20) in the slot or insertion part (22). FIG. 8A shows a punched part (50) processed by a clamp (40) having a punching head (41, 42) having a conical part or outer shape (45), whereas FIG. 8B shows a punched part (50) processed by a clamp (40) having a punching head (41, 42) having substantially / generally a cylindrical part or outer shape (46).

[0053] The expression “substantially / generally cylindrical” is understood to mean that the punching head (41, 42) is fitted into a cylinder of radius r, and that at least 50% of the height h of this conical punching head (46) is of this same radius r ± 10%. Thus, as can be seen in FIG. 7, the punching head (41, 42) having a substantially / generally cylindrical portion or shape (46) starts from a cylindrical shape and has a shape or shape that is slightly bulging at the center, i.e., at the mid-height (h / 2).

[0054] It should be noted that the corrugated reinforcing member (5) and the connecting element (20) may be made of various materials, such as metal, particularly aluminum; metal alloy; plastic, particularly polyethylene, polycarbonate, polyetherimide; or composite materials including fibers bonded to plastic resin, particularly glass fibers. Preferably, both the corrugated reinforcing member (5) and the connecting element (20) are made of aluminum.

[0055] The corrugated reinforcing member (5) and the connecting element (20) can be manufactured in various ways. Preferably, these corrugated reinforcing member (5) and the connecting element (20) are produced by extrusion.

[0056] Referring to FIG. 9, a partially cut-out drawing showing the interior of the vessel (70) illustrates a closed insulation tank (71) having a generally prismatic shape mounted on the double hull (72) of the vessel (70). This tank (71) typically has at least one wavy membrane (1), which is not visible in FIG. 9 and serves as a first closed insulation barrier. Since this wavy membrane (1) has a connecting element connecting the wavy reinforcing element, the punching tool (30, 40) according to the present invention serves to secure this connecting element. The tank (71) includes a primary sealing barrier (1) that is set to come into contact with the LPG contained in the tank, a secondary sealing barrier (not shown in this drawing) positioned between the primary sealing barrier (1) and the double hull (72) of the ship, 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.

[0057] In a manner essentially known, a loading / unloading pipe (73) positioned on the upper deck of a ship to transfer LPG cargo from or to the tank (71) can be connected to a sea or port terminal by a suitable connector.

[0058] FIG. 9 also illustrates an example of a marine terminal comprising a loading and / or unloading station (75), an underwater pipe (76), and a land facility (77). The loading and / or unloading station (75) is a fixed coastal facility comprising a movable arm (74) and a tower (78) supporting the movable arm (74). The movable arm (74) has a bundle of flexible insulating pipes (79) that can be connected to a loading / unloading pipe (73). The adjustable movable arm (74) is adjusted to fit any ship size. A connecting pipe, not shown, extends inside the tower (78). The loading and unloading station (75) enables the loading and / or unloading of a ship (70) from or to the land facility (77). The above-mentioned land facility (77) includes a connecting pipe (81) and a liquefied gas storage tank (80) connected to a loading and unloading station (75) by an underwater pipe (76). The underwater pipe (76) enables the transfer of liquefied gas between the loading and unloading station (75) and the land facility (77) over a long distance—e.g., 5 km—thereby making it possible to keep the vessel (70) at a distance from the shore during loading and / or unloading operations.

[0059] To generate the pressure required for transporting liquefied gas, a pump installed on the ship (70) and / or a pump installed on the land facility (77) and / or a pump installed on the loading and unloading station (75) is used.

[0060] As you may easily understand, although the present invention has been described in relation to a plurality of specific embodiments, the invention is not limited thereto, but rather includes all technical equivalents of the described means and combinations thereof as long as they are within the scope of the invention.

[0061] The use of the verbs "to have," "to be composed," or "to include" and their conjugations does not exclude the existence of elements or steps other than those specified in the claim.

[0062] In the scope of the claim, reference symbols in parentheses should not be interpreted as limitations of the claim.

Claims

Claim 1 A system for connecting a plurality of corrugated reinforcing members (5, 11, 12, 13) of a wavy membrane (1) of a sealed insulating tank (71), comprising a connecting element (20) for connecting corrugated reinforcing members (5, 11, 12, 13) inserted into corrugated reinforcing members (5, 11, 12, 13) to be connected to each other and a punching tool (30, 40), wherein the punching tool (30) is configured to symmetrically punch the corrugated reinforcing members (5, 11, 12, 13) with respect to a vertical axis of symmetry (X'X), wherein the punching tool (30) is configured to connect and fix the plurality of corrugated reinforcing members (5, 11, 12, 13) to each other, and in order to fix the position of the connecting element (20) between the plurality of corrugated reinforcing members (5, 11, 12, 13), the plurality of corrugated reinforcing members (5, 11, 12, 13) A system for connecting a plurality of corrugated reinforcing members, characterized by including at least two punching heads (32, 33 and 41, 42) that create at least two punching sections (50) symmetrically arranged in the upper portions of 12, 13). Claim 2 A system for connecting a plurality of corrugated reinforcing members according to claim 1, characterized in that the punching tool comprises a striking tool (30) disposed on the corrugated reinforcing member (5, 11, 12, 13) at one of the longitudinal ends (26) that fit into the outer shape of at least the upper part of the corrugated reinforcing member (5, 11, 12, 13). Claim 3 A system for connecting a plurality of corrugated reinforcing materials, characterized in that, in claim 1 or 2, the punching head is made of pins (32, 33), and when a striking tool (30) is struck with a hammer, the corrugated reinforcing material (5, 11, 12, 13) is punched by the pins (32, 33). Claim 4 A system for connecting a plurality of corrugated reinforcing members, characterized in that, in paragraph 3, the pins (32, 33) are arranged vertically from the striking tool (30) or along a vertical axis of symmetry. Claim 5 A system for connecting a plurality of corrugated reinforcing materials, characterized in that, in claim 1, the punching tool is composed of a manually operable clamp (40). Claim 6 A system for connecting a plurality of corrugated reinforcing members, characterized in that, in claim 5, the punching heads (41, 42) have an alternative shape of a cylinder (46) or a cone (45). Claim 7 A system for connecting a plurality of corrugated reinforcing members, characterized in that, in claim 5 or 6, the clamp (40) is made of metal and has a handle (43, 44) having a length of at least 20 centimeters. Claim 8 A system for connecting a plurality of corrugated reinforcing members, characterized in that, in claim 1 or 2, the connecting element (20) is made of a metal rod having a cylindrical shape. Claim 9 A system for connecting a plurality of corrugated reinforcing members, characterized in that, in claim 1 or 2, the connecting element (20) is fixed to one end of the corrugated reinforcing member (5, 11, 12, 13). Claim 10 A method for connecting a plurality of corrugated reinforcing members (5, 11, 12, 13) of a corrugated membrane (1) of a sealed insulating tank (71), comprising: - a step of connecting the plurality of corrugated reinforcing members (5, 11, 12, 13) using a connecting element (20) inserted into the plurality of corrugated reinforcing members (5, 11, 12, 13); and - a step of fixing the connecting element (20) to the corrugated reinforcing members (5, 11, 12, 13) using a system for connecting the plurality of corrugated reinforcing members according to claim 1 or 2. Claim 11 A storage facility comprising a support structure (72) and a sealed insulating tank (71) installed in the internal space of the support structure (72), wherein the storage facility comprises at least one wavy membrane (1) having a wavy reinforcing member (5, 11, 12, 13), and the wavy reinforcing member (5, 11, 12, 13) is connected to one another by a connecting element (20) inserted into the wavy reinforcing member (5, 11, 12, 13), wherein the connecting element (20) is punched into at least a portion (26) of the wavy reinforcing member (5, 11, 12, 13) using a system for connecting a plurality of wavy reinforcing members according to claim 1 or 2.

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