阅读说明：本技术 带有加强波纹膜的密封壁 (Sealing wall with reinforced corrugated membrane ) 是由 布鲁诺·德莱特雷 马克·布瓦约 尼古拉斯·劳瑞恩 萨缪尔·勒塞克 于 2019-07-26 设计创作，主要内容包括：一种密封罐壁,包括一密封膜,所述密封膜包括一第一系列平行波纹(3)和一第二系列平行波纹(2),所述第一系列波纹和第二系列波纹(2,3)在交叉方向上延伸,所述波纹(2,3)在所述两个系列波纹(2,3)的交叉点处具有多个节点(5),一波纹加强件(11)布置在所述第一系列波纹(3)的波纹(3)下,所述波纹加强件(11)包括：-一导轨(13),容纳在所述波纹(3)下面并穿过所述波纹(3)的一节点(5),所述导轨(13)在所述节点(5)的任一侧延伸,-多个加强部分(14,26),附接在所述节点(5)的任一侧上的导轨(13)上,以支撑所述波纹(3)位于所述节点(5)和相邻节点(5)之间的部分(6)。(A sealable tank wall comprising a sealing membrane comprising a first series of parallel corrugations (3) and a second series of parallel corrugations (2), the first and second series of corrugations (2,3) extending in intersecting directions, the corrugations (2,3) having a plurality of nodes (5) at the intersection of the two series of corrugations (2,3), a corrugation reinforcement (11) being arranged below the corrugations (3) of the first series of corrugations (3), the corrugation reinforcement (11) comprising: -a guide rail (13) accommodated below the corrugations (3) and passing through a node (5) of the corrugations (3), the guide rail (13) extending on either side of the node (5), -a plurality of reinforcement parts (14,26) attached to the guide rail (13) on either side of the node (5) to support the part (6) of the corrugations (3) located between the node (5) and an adjacent node (5).)

1. A sealable tank wall comprising a corrugated sealing membrane comprising a first series of parallel corrugations (3) and a second series of parallel corrugations (2) and planar portions (4) located between the corrugations (2,3) and resting on a support surface, the first and second series of corrugations (2,3) extending in intersecting directions, the corrugations (2,3) having a plurality of nodes (5) at the intersection of the two series of corrugations (2,3),

a corrugated reinforcement (11) is arranged under the corrugations (3) of the first series of corrugations (3), the corrugated reinforcement (11) comprising:

-a guide rail (13) resting on the support surface and housed under the corrugations (3), the guide rail (13) extending parallel to the first series of corrugations (3) and passing through a node (5) of the corrugations (3), the guide rail (13) extending on either side of the node (5),

-a plurality of stiffening portions (14,26) attached to the rail (13) and resting on an upper surface of the rail (13) on either side of the node (5) so as to support the portions (6) of the corrugation (3) between the node (5) of the corrugation (3) and the adjacent node (5), an intermediate portion (24) of the rail being uncovered by the stiffening portions (14,26) and being interposed between the stiffening portions (14,26) housed in the node (5).

2. The tank wall according to claim 1, characterized in that the guide rail (13) comprises a means for anchoring the reinforcement part (14,26), the reinforcement part (14,26) being configured such that the reinforcement part (14,26) is retained in the thickness direction of the tank wall.

3. Tank wall according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the reinforcement part (14,26) is mounted by sliding on the rail (13) in a longitudinal direction of the rail (13).

4. The tank wall according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said rail (13) has a longitudinal groove (18) open at its upper surface, said reinforcing portion (14,26) comprising a dovetail pin (23) housed in said groove (18).

5. Tank wall according to any of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the reinforcement part (14,26) is fixed on the guide rail (13).

6. Tank wall according to any of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the wave reinforcement is a first wave reinforcement (11) and the waves of the first series of waves (3) are a first wave (3), the tank wall further comprising two second wave reinforcements (12), the second wave reinforcements (12) being housed under a second wave (12), the second wave (2) being waves of the second series of waves (2), wherein the second wave (2) forms together with the first wave (3) the node (5) through which the guide rail (13) of the first wave reinforcement (11) passes, the second wave reinforcement (12) being housed under the second wave (2) on either side of the node (5) between the node (5) and an adjacent node (5) of the second wave (2), to support a portion (6) of said second corrugation (2), said portion (6) of said second corrugation (2) being located between said node (5) of said second corrugation (2) and said adjacent node (5).

7. A tank wall according to claim 6, characterized in that the guide rail (13) of the first corrugated reinforcement (11) comprises a transverse groove (31), the transverse groove (31) being accommodated in the node (5), the tank wall further comprising a sleeve (30), the sleeve (30) being accommodated in the transverse groove (31) and protruding transversely on either side of the guide rail (13) of the first corrugated reinforcement (11), the second corrugated reinforcement (12) being hollow, the sleeve (30) being accommodated in the second corrugated reinforcement (12) so that the second corrugated reinforcement (12) remains aligned on either side of the node (5).

8. Tank wall in accordance with claim 7, characterized in that the hollow part of the second corrugated reinforcement has a shell (34), the cross section of the shell (34) being complementary to the cross section of the sleeve (30) so that the sleeve (30) is slidably received in the second corrugated reinforcement (12) in the longitudinal direction of the second corrugated reinforcement (12).

9. Tank wall according to any of claims 7 to 8, characterized in that the transverse groove (31) of the guide rail (13) is of inverted "T" shape in cross-section, so that the movement of the sleeve (30) in the thickness direction of the tank wall relative to the guide rail (13) of the first corrugated reinforcement (11) is fixed.

10. Tank wall according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that a plurality of corrugated reinforcements (11) are accommodated below the corrugations (3) in the first series of corrugations (3), that each of two successive corrugated reinforcements (11) of the plurality of corrugated reinforcements has a guide rail (13), that the guide rail (13) rests on the support surface and is accommodated below the corrugations (3), that each of the guide rails (13) passes through at least one node (5) in the corrugations (3) and extends on either side of the at least one node (5), and that facing ends (25) of two successive corrugated reinforcements (11) accommodated below the corrugations (3) are arranged between two successive nodes (5) of the corrugations (3), and that a joint reinforcement portion (26) is attached to the end (25), to support said corrugations (3) between said two consecutive nodes (5) and to keep said ends (25) aligned.

11. A corrugated stiffener (11), the corrugated stiffener (11) being designed to be received under a corrugation (3) of a corrugated sealing membrane, the corrugated stiffener (11) comprising a guide rail (13) and stiffening portions (14,26), the stiffening portions (14,26) being attached to the guide rail (13) and spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the guide rail (13), a middle portion (24) of the guide rail (13) being uncovered by the stiffening portions (14,26) and being interposed between two consecutive stiffening portions (14,26), the two consecutive stiffening portions (14,26) being designed to be received under a node (5) of the sealing membrane, the node (5) being formed by the intersection of two intersecting corrugations (2,3) of the sealing membrane.

12. Corrugated stiffener according to claim 11, characterized in that the stiffener part (14,26) is slidably mounted in the rail (13) in a longitudinal direction of the rail (13).

13. A corrugated sealing membrane portion designed to rest on a support surface of a sealed can wall, said sealing membrane portion comprising:

-a corrugated metal sheet (1), said metal sheet (1) comprising a first series of parallel corrugations (3) and a second series of parallel corrugations (2) and a planar portion (4), said planar portion (4) being located between said corrugations (2,3) and being designed to rest on said support surface, said first and second series of corrugations (2,3) extending in intersecting directions, said corrugations (2,3) having a plurality of nodes (5) at the intersection of said two series of corrugations (2, 3);

-a row of corrugated reinforcements (11) accommodated in a corrugation (3) of said first series of corrugations (3) between edges (37) of a corrugated metal sheet (1) defining said corrugations (3), said row of corrugated reinforcements (11) comprising at least one corrugated reinforcement according to any of claims 11 to 12,

wherein the intermediate portion (24) of the guide rail is accommodated in a node (5) of the corrugation (3), the reinforcing portions (14,26) of the corrugated reinforcing element (11) are accommodated in a longitudinal portion (6) of the corrugation (3), the longitudinal portion (6) of the corrugation (3) being located on either side of the node (5) between the node (5) of the corrugation (3) and an adjacent node (5).

14. A vessel (70) for transporting cold liquid products, said vessel comprising a double hull (72) and a tank arranged at said double hull, said tank comprising a sealed tank wall according to any of claims 1-10.

15. A method for loading or unloading a vessel (70) according to claim 14, wherein cold liquid product is transferred from a floating or land-based storage means (77) to the vessel's tank (71) or from the vessel's tank (71) to the floating or land-based storage means (77) through insulated pipes (73,79,76, 81).

16. A system for transporting cold liquid products, said system comprising a vessel (70) according to claim 14; insulated conduits (73,79,76,81) arranged to connect the tank (71) mounted in the hull of the vessel to a floating or land-based storage device (77); and a pump for moving cold liquid product to and from the floating or land-based storage device and the vessel tanks through insulated conduits.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to the field of sealed tanks with corrugated metal membranes for storing and/or transporting fluids, in particular sealed insulated tanks for liquefied gases.

In particular, the present invention relates to the field of sealed insulated tanks for storing and/or transporting cryogenic liquids, such as tanks transporting liquefied petroleum gas (also called LPG) at temperatures between-50 ℃ and 0 ℃, or tanks transporting Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) at atmospheric pressure at about-162 ℃. These tanks may be mounted on land or on a floating structure. When these tanks are installed in a floating structure, the tanks may be used for transporting liquefied gas or for containing liquefied gas used as fuel for propelling the floating structure.

Background

FR- A-2936784 describes A tank with A corrugated sealing membrane in which the corrugated sealing membrane is reinforced by stiffeners disposed below the corrugations, the stiffeners being located between the sealing membrane and its support for reducing stresses in the sealing membrane caused by A number of factors including: the thermal contraction that occurs when the tanks cool, the effect of the bending of the beams of the ship, and the dynamic pressure that is generated by the movement of the cargo, in particular due to expansion.

In this can, the sealing membrane has two series of vertical corrugations. Thus, the sealing membrane has a plurality of nodes corresponding to the intersections between the plurality of corrugations in the two series of corrugations.

In one embodiment, these stiffeners, also called corrugated stiffeners, are hollow and allow gas to flow between the corrugations and the support by passing through the stiffeners, in particular for inerting the thermal barrier or detecting leaks. These stiffeners are arranged below the corrugations between two consecutive nodes, so that they are discontinuous at said nodes.

Disclosure of Invention

However, the applicant has observed that the seal membrane stress is not necessarily uniform in the can. Therefore, the same corrugation may be subjected to asymmetric stress that may cause deformation of the membrane, and in this case, the reinforcement may not sufficiently fulfill the function of reinforcing the membrane. In particular, the applicant has also observed that, because the corrugations are subjected to asymmetric stresses, the stiffeners move together with the corrugated portions housing them. This combined movement of the stiffener and corrugations may cause distortion of the membrane at the nodes.

One idea of the invention is to provide a sealing wall with a corrugated sealing membrane which is continuously reinforced along the corrugations. One idea of the invention is to ensure the continuity of the corrugated reinforcement arranged in the corrugations. One idea of the invention is to align the corrugated stiffeners arranged under the corrugations in order to limit the risk of twisting the membrane at the nodes.

According to one embodiment, the present invention provides a sealable tank wall comprising a corrugated sealing membrane comprising a first series of parallel corrugations and a second series of parallel corrugations and planar portions between the corrugations and resting on a support surface, the first and second series of corrugations extending in intersecting directions, the corrugations having a plurality of nodes at the intersections of the two series of corrugations, a corrugation reinforcement being disposed under a corrugation of the first series of corrugations, the corrugation reinforcement comprising:

-a guide rail resting on the support surface and housed underneath said corrugations, said guide rail extending parallel to the first series of corrugations and passing through the nodes of said corrugations, said guide rail extending on either side of said nodes,

-a plurality of reinforcing portions attached to the rails and resting on an upper surface of the rails on either side of said nodes, so as to support the portions of said corrugations located between said nodes and the adjacent nodes of said corrugations, an intermediate portion of the rail being uncovered by the reinforcing portions and interposed between said reinforcing portions housed in the nodes.

By means of these features, continuity is ensured between two successive reinforcing portions arranged in the corrugations on either side of a node and separated by said node. By virtue of these features, relative movement between two successive corrugated reinforcing sections arranged in the corrugations is limited, including in the presence of asymmetric stresses on either side of the node.

Such a corrugated stiffener is suitable for sealing membranes, wherein the nodes have a cross-section smaller than the rest of the corrugations.

According to one embodiment, the node comprises a top, said corrugations comprising on either side of the top concave portions forming a corrugation narrowing.

According to one embodiment, the narrow portion defines a minimum cross-section of the corrugation, e.g. in a node.

According to one embodiment, the intermediate portion of the guide rail extends in a node below the narrow portion of the corrugation formed by the concave portions of the corrugation, which are located on either side of the top.

Such a wall may also include one or more of the following features, according to embodiments.

According to one embodiment, a rail traverses through a plurality of consecutive nodes of the corrugations, and a reinforcing portion is attached to the rail on either side of the consecutive nodes traversed by the rail to support portions of the corrugations on either side of the consecutive nodes traversed by the rail. According to one embodiment, the rail comprises a plurality of intermediate portions not covered by the reinforcing portions, said intermediate portions being interposed between the reinforcing portions attached to the rail.

According to one embodiment the guide rail has a constant cross section in the longitudinal direction of the corrugations.

According to one embodiment the reinforcement part has a variable cross-section in the longitudinal direction of the corrugation. According to one embodiment, the reinforcing portion includes a central portion and at least one end portion. According to one embodiment, the reinforcing portion has two end portions located on both sides of a central portion in a longitudinal direction of the reinforcing portion.

According to one embodiment, the outer shape of the central portion of the reinforcement portion matches the inner shape of the longitudinal portion of the corrugation.

According to one embodiment, the one or more ends extend in a node of the corrugation. According to one embodiment, one or more of the ends has a profile matching a portion of the respective node, said portion of the node being defined by a narrow portion of the corrugation formed by the respective concave portion of the corrugation. Such a profile of the end of the reinforcing portion makes it possible to advantageously reinforce the corrugations at the nodes, in particular in the recesses formed in the nodes.

In other words, according to one embodiment, the reinforcing portion has a different profile between one or more ends of said reinforcing portion housed in one or more nodes, having a profile suitable for supporting the transverse portions of the respective node, and the central portion housed in the longitudinal portion of the corrugation.

According to one embodiment, one or more ends of the reinforcement part are formed by one or more spacers attached to the middle part of the rail on either side of the central part of the reinforcement part.

According to one embodiment, the reinforcement portion has a beveled end facing the node.

According to one embodiment, the reinforcement portion has an outer wall with a convex outer shape, for example a semi-elliptical shape, defining an inner space of the reinforcement portion.

According to one embodiment, the inner space of the reinforcement part is hollow and constitutes a channel for gas to flow through the reinforcement part.

According to one embodiment, the reinforcement portion further comprises an internal reinforcement web.

According to one embodiment, the rail comprises means for anchoring a reinforcing portion configured so as to retain said reinforcing portion in the thickness direction of the tank wall.

According to one embodiment, the reinforcement part is mounted by sliding on the rail in the longitudinal direction of the rail.

According to one embodiment, the rail has a longitudinal groove open at its upper surface, the reinforcement portion comprising a dovetail dowel which is received in said groove.

According to one embodiment, the guide rail has a flat lower wall resting on the support surface and a flat upper wall parallel to said lower wall, the longitudinal groove being provided in the upper wall.

According to one embodiment, the guide rail comprises side walls connecting the lower wall and the upper wall. According to one embodiment, the side walls are inclined with respect to the lower wall, which forms the maximum width of the guide rail. According to one embodiment, the side walls of the guide rails have an inclination and/or concavity matching that of the facing corrugations of said side walls to reinforce the respective lower portions of the corrugations.

According to one embodiment, the reinforcement part is fixed to the guide rail.

This fixing (i.e., the reinforcement portion being fixed to the guide rail) can be achieved in various ways. According to one embodiment, the reinforcement part is riveted to the rail. According to one embodiment, the reinforcement portion is welded to the rail.

According to one embodiment, the wave reinforcement is a first wave reinforcement and said waves of the first series of waves are a first wave, the tank wall further comprising two second wave reinforcements received under the second waves, said second waves being waves of the second series of waves, wherein said second waves form, together with the first waves, a node through which the guide rail of the first wave reinforcement passes, the second wave reinforcement being received under the second waves on either side of said node between said node and an adjacent node of the second waves, to support a part of said second waves, which part is located between said node and said adjacent node of said second waves.

According to one embodiment, the ends of the second reinforcement are accommodated in nodes in contact with the guide rail. By means of these features, the guide rail exerts a stop function, limiting the movement of the second corrugated reinforcing member in the longitudinal direction of the second corrugations.

According to one embodiment, the rails of the first corrugated reinforcement comprise a transverse groove housed in the nodal point, the tank wall further comprising a sleeve housed in said transverse groove and projecting transversely on either side of the rails of the first corrugated reinforcement, the second corrugated reinforcement being hollow, the sleeve being housed in said second corrugated reinforcement so that said second corrugated reinforcement remains aligned on either side of the nodal point.

According to one embodiment, the hollow part of the second corrugated reinforcement has a shell with a cross-section complementary to the cross-section of the sleeve, such that the sleeve is slidably received in the second corrugated reinforcement in the longitudinal direction of the second corrugated reinforcement.

According to one embodiment, the transverse groove of the guide rail is of inverted "T" shape in cross-section, so that the movement of the sleeve relative to the guide rail of the first corrugated reinforcement in the thickness direction of the tank wall is fixed.

According to one embodiment the transverse groove of the guide rail is trapezoidal, wedge-shaped or triangular in cross-section and is arranged such that the sleeve is fixed with respect to the guide rail of the first corrugated stiffener in the thickness direction of the tank wall. For example, the transverse groove of the guide rail has a cross section in the shape of an isosceles trapezoid, the major base of which is close to the support surface, and the minor base of which constitutes the opening of the transverse groove of the guide rail on the upper surface of the guide rail.

By virtue of these features, the movement of the second corrugated reinforcing member in the thickness direction of the tank is fixed. In particular, the transverse grooves of inverted "T" or trapezoidal shape and the complementary shape of the sleeve housed in the second corrugated reinforcement prevent the second corrugated reinforcement from being raised by the movement of the guide rails, for example when the first corrugations are affected by the liquid in one direction, which is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of said first corrugations.

According to one embodiment, the transverse slot is a primary transverse slot, and the rail further comprises one or more secondary transverse slots. Preferably, the primary and secondary transverse grooves are accommodated in the node. Such a transverse slot enables the guide rail to maintain a satisfactory stiffness in a plane parallel to the support surface, while providing improved flexibility out of said plane.

According to one embodiment, at least one secondary transverse groove extends on both sides of the primary transverse groove. According to one embodiment, a secondary transverse slot adjacent to the primary transverse slot extends from the lower surface of the rail. According to one embodiment, the secondary transverse grooves extend alternately from the upper surface of the rail and the lower surface of the rail. This alternation allows the guide rail to have a greater flexibility out of the plane parallel to the support surface.

According to one embodiment, a plurality of corrugated reinforcements are housed below the corrugations in the first series of corrugations, said corrugated reinforcements having a rail resting on a support surface and housed below the corrugations, said rail passing through and extending on either side of at least one node in said corrugations, and facing ends of two consecutive rails housed below said corrugations being arranged between two consecutive nodes of said corrugations, engagement reinforcing portions being attached on said ends to support said corrugations between said two consecutive nodes and to keep said ends aligned.

According to one embodiment, the invention also provides a corrugated reinforcement designed to be housed under the corrugations of a corrugated sealing membrane, said corrugated reinforcement comprising a rail and a plurality of reinforcing portions attached to the rail and spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the rail, the middle portion of the rail being uncovered by the reinforcing portions and interposed between two consecutive reinforcing portions, and the middle portion of the rail being designed to be housed under the node of the sealing membrane formed by the intersection of two intersecting corrugations of said sealing membrane.

Such a corrugated stiffener may include one or more of the following features, according to embodiments.

According to one embodiment, the reinforcement part is mounted by sliding on the rail in the longitudinal direction of the rail.

According to one embodiment, the reinforcement portion has an outer wall with a convex outer shape, for example a semi-elliptical shape, defining an inner space of the reinforcement portion.

According to one embodiment, the inner space of the reinforcement part is hollow.

According to one embodiment, the reinforcement portion further comprises an internal reinforcement web.

According to one embodiment, the rail has a longitudinal groove open at its upper surface, the reinforcement portion comprising a dovetail dowel which is received in said groove.

According to one embodiment, the guide rail has a flat lower wall and a flat upper wall parallel to said lower wall, the longitudinal groove being provided in the upper wall.

According to one embodiment, the guide rail comprises side walls connecting the lower wall and the upper wall. According to one embodiment, the side walls are inclined with respect to the lower wall, which forms the maximum width of the guide rail.

According to one embodiment, the reinforcement part is fixed to the guide rail. According to one embodiment, the reinforcement part is riveted to the rail. According to one embodiment, the reinforcement portion is welded to the rail.

According to one embodiment, the guide rail comprises a transverse groove designed to receive a sleeve for fixing the second hollow corrugated reinforcing element. According to one embodiment, the guide rail further comprises a secondary transverse slot as described above.

According to one embodiment, the invention also provides a corrugated sealing membrane portion designed to rest on a support surface of a sealing can wall, the sealing membrane portion comprising:

-a corrugated metal sheet comprising a first and a second series of parallel corrugations and a planar portion located between the corrugations and designed to rest on a support surface, the first and second series of corrugations extending in intersecting directions, the corrugations having a plurality of nodes at the intersection of the two series of corrugations;

-a row of corrugated reinforcing elements accommodated in the corrugations of the first series of corrugations between the edges of the corrugated metal sheet defining said corrugations, said row of corrugated reinforcing elements comprising at least one corrugated reinforcing element as described above,

wherein the intermediate portion of the guide rail is received in a node of said corrugation and the reinforcing portion of said corrugation reinforcement is received in a longitudinal portion of said corrugation, said longitudinal portion of the corrugation being located on either side of said node of said corrugation and a node between adjacent nodes.

According to one embodiment, the row of corrugated reinforcing elements is fixed to the corrugated metal sheet, for example by means of double-sided adhesive tape or adhesive. Thus, it is possible to prepare a corrugated metal sheet with one or more corrugated reinforcing members, wherein the one or more corrugated reinforcing members are pre-assembled to the corrugated metal sheet in such a way as described above, which facilitates the installation of the tank wall.

According to one embodiment, the row of corrugated reinforcing elements comprises a plurality of corrugated reinforcing elements as described above, which are continuously accommodated in the corrugations.

According to one embodiment, two of said continuous corrugated reinforcements each have a respective rail, one end of which is housed in a portion of a common corrugation, said portion of said common corrugation being located between two adjacent nodes of the corrugation, said respective rail of said continuous corrugated reinforcement passing through each of said two adjacent nodes of said corrugation, said ends of said two rails being connected by a joint reinforcement, said joint reinforcement being commonly attached to said ends of said two rails in order to fix said two continuous corrugated reinforcements in alignment.

According to one embodiment, rows of corrugated reinforcing elements, which are constructed in the same way, are arranged in respective corrugations of the first series of corrugations over the entire length of the rectangular metal sheet, for example in each corrugation or only in some corrugations, and can be fixed to the rectangular metal sheet in the same way.

According to one embodiment, a plurality of rows of corrugated reinforcing members are arranged in the corrugations of the second series of corrugations. These corrugated reinforcements may be fixed in various ways, for example by interaction with the corrugated reinforcements accommodated in the corrugations of the first series of corrugations. According to one embodiment, the corrugated reinforcing member arranged in the corrugations of the second series of corrugations is fixed to the corrugated metal sheet, for example by double-sided adhesive tape or adhesive bonding.

According to one embodiment, over substantially the entire length of the rectangular metal sheet, a plurality of rows of corrugated reinforcing members are arranged in respective corrugations of the first series of corrugations, and a plurality of rows of second corrugated reinforcing members are arranged in respective corrugations of the second series of corrugations, the second corrugated reinforcing members being assembled to the first corrugated reinforcing members to form a frame for the corrugated metal sheet.

According to one embodiment, the corrugated metal sheet is rectangular, the corrugations being parallel to respective edges of said corrugated metal sheet.

Such tank walls may form part of land-based storage units, e.g. for storing LNG or installed in floating, coastal or deep water structures, in particular methane transport vessels or any vessel using combustible liquefied gas as fuel, Floating Storage Regasification Units (FSRU), floating production storage offloading units (FPSO), etc.

According to one embodiment, the invention provides a vessel for transporting a cold liquid product, the vessel comprising a double hull and a tank comprising the above-mentioned sealing wall arranged in the double hull.

According to one embodiment, the invention also provides a method for loading or unloading such a vessel, wherein the cold liquid product is transferred from or from the floating or land-based storage device to or from the vessel's tank to the floating or land-based storage device through insulated conduits.

According to one embodiment, the invention also provides a system for transporting a cold liquid product, the system comprising the vessel described above; an insulated pipeline arranged to connect a tank mounted in a hull of a vessel to a floating or land-based storage device; and a pump for transporting the stream of cold liquid product to and from the floating or land-based storage device and the vessel's tank through the insulated conduit.

Drawings

The present invention may be better understood, and other objects, details, features and advantages thereof made apparent from the following description of several specific embodiments of the invention, which are given by way of illustration and not of limitation, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a view of a corrugated metal sheet designed to construct a sealing membrane for a tank for storing liquefied natural gas;

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a row of large corrugated stiffeners associated with a plurality of small corrugated stiffeners;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a large corrugated reinforcement of the row of corrugated reinforcements of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of large and small corrugated stiffeners at the node of FIG. 2;

FIGS. 5-6 are partial cross-sectional views of FIG. 4 in different cross-sections, showing the large corrugated stiffener intersecting the small corrugated stiffener at a node;

fig. 7 is a partial cross-sectional view of a variation of fig. 4.

FIG. 8 is a schematic perspective view from below of a corrugated metal sheet of a sealing film in which large corrugated reinforcing members and small corrugated reinforcing members are accommodated;

FIG. 9 is a partial schematic perspective view of a sealed insulated tank during installation, including the corrugated metal sheet of FIG. 8, shown as transparent;

fig. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a methane carrier and terminal for loading/unloading the tanks.

Detailed Description

By convention, the terms "outer" and "inner" when referring to the interior and exterior of a can are used to define the relative position of one element with respect to another.

A hermetically insulated tank for storing and transporting a cryogenic fluid, such as Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), includes a plurality of tank walls, each tank wall having a multi-layered structure.

Such a tank wall, on the inside from the outside towards the inside of the tank, comprises an insulating barrier anchoring a load-bearing structure by means of a retaining member; a sealing membrane carried by the insulating barrier and designed to come into contact with the cryogenic fluid in the tank.

The load-bearing structure may be in particular a self-supporting metal plate or, more generally, any type of rigid partition with suitable mechanical properties. The load-bearing structure may in particular be formed by one hull or by two hulls of a ship. The load bearing structure includes a plurality of walls defining the general shape of a tank, which is generally in the form of a polyhedron.

The tank may also include a plurality of thermal barriers and a sealing membrane. For example, from the exterior of the tank towards the interior of the tank, the tank may comprise: a primary insulating barrier anchored to the load bearing structure; a primary sealing membrane carried by the thermal barrier; a primary insulating barrier resting on the secondary sealing membrane; and a primary sealing membrane resting on the primary insulating barrier. The thermal insulation barrier can be made of various materials in various ways according to known techniques, for example as described in documents WO2017017337 or WO 2017006044. The sealing membrane may be constituted by a rectangular corrugated metal component member comprising a plurality of series of corrugations of different or identical size.

Fig. 1 shows a corrugated metal sheet 1 designed to form a sealing membrane for a tank for storing liquefied natural gas.

The metal sheet 1 comprises a first series of "bottom" parallel corrugations 2 extending in the y-direction and a second series of "top" parallel corrugations 3 extending in the x-direction. The x-direction and y-direction of the plurality of series of corrugations are perpendicular. The corrugations 2,3 project on the inner surface side of the metal sheet 1, the inner surface of the metal sheet 1 being designed to be in contact with the fluid contained in the tank. Here, the edges of the metal sheet 1 are parallel to the corrugations 2, 3. It should be noted that the terms "top" and "bottom" have opposite meanings and mean that the "bottom" corrugations 2 are lower than the "top" corrugations 3.

The metal sheet 1 comprises a plurality of flat surfaces 4 between the corrugations 2, 3. At each intersection between the bottom corrugation 2 and the top corrugation 3 the metal sheet 1 comprises a node 5. In other words, each corrugation 2,3 comprises a series of longitudinal portions 6 and nodes 5, the nodes 5 being formed by the intersections of the corrugations 2,3 with the perpendicular corrugations 3, 2. Such a longitudinal portion 6 has a substantially constant cross-section, the change in the cross-section of the corrugations 2,3 at the intersection between the two corrugations 2,3 marking the beginning of the node 5. However, as described in document FR286160, the longitudinal portion 6 may comprise a local deformation.

The node 5 comprises a fold 7, the fold 7 extending the edge of the top 8 of the top corrugation 3. The fold 7 forms the top of the node 5, which protrudes towards the interior of the tank. The edge of the top 8 of the top corrugation 3 further comprises a pair of concave corrugations 9, the concave faces of the concave corrugations 9 facing the inside of the can and being arranged on both sides of the fold 7. Furthermore, the fold 7 is delimited by a pair of lateral stiffeners 10, said lateral stiffeners 10 being formed in the top corrugation 3 and being penetrated by the bottom corrugation 2.

It should be noted that the metal plate 1 may be made of, inter alia, stainless steel, aluminum,

Made of, i.e. alloys of, iron and nickel, having an expansion coefficient of typically 1.2X 10 ^-6And 2X 10 ^-6K ^-1Of ferroalloys with a high manganese content, the expansion coefficient of which is generally 7X 10 ^-6K ^-1Left and right. However, other metals and alloys may be used.

The thickness of the metal plate 1 is, for example, about 1.2 mm. Other thicknesses are also contemplated, knowing that an increase in the thickness of the metal sheet 1 increases its cost and generally increases the stiffness of the corrugations 2, 3.

According to an advantageous embodiment (see fig. 8), both vertical edges of each metal sheet 1 have a step portion, i.e. a portion having a difference in height, so that when the metal sheets 1 are welded together, those edges having a step portion each pass over the facing edges of the adjacent metal sheets 1.

Other possible details and characteristics of the sealing film, of the metal sheet 1 forming the sealing film and of the structure of the nodes 5 are described in documents WO2017017337 or WO 2017006044. For example, the metal plate 1 assembled to form the sealing film may be formed by stretching or folding.

The corrugations 2,3 of the metal sheet 1 enable the sealing membrane to be flexible, enabling it to be deformed by thermal and mechanical stresses generated by the liquefied natural gas stored in the tank. Corrugated stiffeners are arranged in the corrugations 2,3 to stiffen the sealing membrane to withstand these various stresses. More specifically, a plurality of rows of first corrugated reinforcing members 11 are arranged below the top corrugations 3. Similarly, a plurality of rows of second corrugated reinforcing members 12 are arranged below the bottom corrugations 2.

These corrugation reinforcements 11,12 make it possible to support and reinforce the corrugations 2,3 of the sealing membrane in the presence of stresses which are associated, for example, with the movement of the fluid in the tank.

Such corrugated reinforcing elements 11,12 are shown in detail in fig. 2 to 7. In fig. 2 to 7, the sealing membrane is not shown, so that the features and the arrangement of the corrugated reinforcements 11,12 are clearer, it being understood that these corrugated reinforcements 11,12 are described in the context of the arrangement of the corrugated reinforcements 11,12, the corrugated reinforcements 11,12 being located below the corrugations 2,3 of the sealing membrane formed by a plurality of corrugated metal sheets 1, as shown in fig. 1.

As shown in fig. 2 to 4, the first corrugated reinforcing member 11 includes a rail 13, and the reinforcing portion 14 is attached to the rail 13.

The guide rails 13 have a constant cross section in the longitudinal direction of the top corrugation 3, below which top corrugation 3 the guide rails 13 are arranged. The guide rail 13 has a height, taken in the thickness direction of the container wall, which is smaller than the height of the top corrugation 3, wherein said top corrugation 3 comprises corrugations at the concave corrugations 9 formed at the nodes 5.

Fig. 3 shows a cross-section of the first corrugated reinforcement 11 in a cross-section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of said first corrugated reinforcement 11 at the reinforcement portion 14. As shown in this fig. 3, the guide rail 13 comprises a flat lower wall 15. The flat wall 15 rests on a support surface formed by a thermal insulating barrier (not shown). The guide rail 13 further comprises side walls 16 extending from the side edges of the lower wall 15. These side walls 16 extend in an inclined manner with respect to the lower wall 15.

Preferably, the side walls 16 of the guide track 13 have an outer surface, that is to say opposite the top corrugation 3, with an inclination and/or concavity equal to or close to that of the opposite top corrugation 3. Thus, the outer surface of the side wall 16 matches the opposite inner surface of the top corrugation 3 and may serve to reinforce the lower part of the top corrugation 3.

The guide rail 13 further comprises an upper wall 17 extending between the side walls 16. The upper wall 17 is flat and parallel to the lower wall 15. The upper surface of the upper wall 17 has a wedge-shaped recess 18, the recess 18 opening towards the interior of the tank. The recess 18 is located substantially in the centre of the side wall 16. The recess 18 comprises two inner walls 19 connecting the upper wall 17 to the lower wall 15, the lower wall 15 forming the bottom of the recess 18.

The reinforcing portion 14 has a flat lower wall 20, and above the lower wall 20 is an outer envelope 21. The outer envelope 21 has a convex shape, typically a dome shape, for example a semi-oval shape, similar to the shape of the top corrugation 3. These walls 20,21 define a hollow interior space of the reinforcing portion 14. Such a hollow reinforcement 14 allows a gas to flow in said reinforcement 14, for example for inerting or detecting a leakage of the thermal insulation barrier. The reinforcing portion 14 also includes an internal web 22, which internal web 22 may reinforce the reinforcing portion 14.

The reinforcing portion 14 comprises a peg 23, the peg 23 projecting towards the outside from the lower wall 20. The peg 23 is wedge shaped, complementary to the wedge shape of the recess 18. The reinforcing portion 14 is slidably mounted on the rail 13 by the interaction between the peg 23 and the groove 18. This interaction between the peg 23 and the groove 18 ensures that the reinforcement part 14 remains on the guide rail 13 in the thickness direction of the tank wall, while allowing the reinforcement part 14 to move in the longitudinal direction of the guide rail 13.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 3, the reinforcing portion also comprises two lateral tabs 44, these two lateral tabs 44 extending towards the outside and extending the outer envelope 21 beyond the lower wall 20 towards the support surface. These side tabs 44 partially cover the side walls 16. These side tabs 44 have an outer surface facing the top corrugation 3 which matches the inner shape of said top corrugation 3 to support and reinforce said top corrugation 3. Furthermore, the interaction between the lateral tabs 44 of the reinforcing portion 14 and the lateral walls 16 of the rail 13 enables a better retention of the reinforcing portion 14 on the rail 13, while, with the aid of the pegs 23, the reinforcing portion 14 is also guided by this interaction when it slides on the rail 13.

The stress in the tank is not always uniform. Thus, the top corrugation 3 may be subjected to an asymmetric stress over its length. Such asymmetric stresses result in transverse stresses being exerted on the longitudinal portion 6 of the top corrugation 3, while the longitudinal portion 6 adjacent to said top corrugation 3 is not subjected to similar stresses. In the presence of such asymmetric stresses, the top corrugation 5 may undergo severe bending at the node 5, separating the two consecutive longitudinal portions 6 subjected to said asymmetric stresses.

The guide rails 13 are lower than the height of the top corrugation 3, including the height of the top corrugation 3 at the node 5, in particular the height of the top corrugation 3 at the recess 9, while one and the same guide rail 13 may have a length enabling it to pass through one node 5, even preferably a plurality of consecutive nodes 5, of the top corrugation 3. Thus, in the embodiment shown in fig. 2, the length of the guide rail 3 is such that said guide rail 13 passes through 3 consecutive nodes 5 of the top corrugation 3, wherein said guide rail 3 is accommodated below said top corrugation 3.

The reinforcing portion 14 is attached to the guide rail 13 so as to extend in the longitudinal portion 6 of the top corrugation 3. Thus, in the embodiment shown in fig. 2, two reinforcement parts 14 are attached to the guide rail 13 such that the two reinforcement parts 14 are accommodated in the longitudinal portion 6 between the nodes 5 through which the guide rail 13 passes.

For example, the length of the reinforcing portion 14 at the top of the outer envelope 21 is equal to the length of the longitudinal portion 6 of the top corrugation 3, the longitudinal portion 6 of the top corrugation 3 having a uniform cross section between two nodes 5, so that said longitudinal portion 6 can be reinforced over the entire length separating two consecutive nodes 5 of the top corrugation 3. This portion with a uniform cross section ends at a location where the top corrugation 3 has a slight transverse constriction marking the beginning of the node 5, the geometry of the node 5 being complex as described above. Furthermore, the ramp shape of the reinforcing portion 14 substantially corresponds to the inclination of the transverse constrictions, so that the reinforcing portion 14 is as close as possible to the node 5 to optimize the support of the top corrugation 3.

The guide rail 13 has, between two consecutive reinforcing portions 14, an intermediate portion 24 not covered by said consecutive reinforcing portions 14. The intermediate portions 24 are housed in the respective nodes 5 through which the rails 13 pass. Thus, the first corrugated reinforcement 11 has alternating portions of rails 13 covered by the reinforcing part 14 and housed in the continuous longitudinal portion 6 of the top corrugations 3, while the first corrugated reinforcement 11 also has an intermediate portion 24 of the rails 13, which intermediate portion 24 is not covered by the reinforcing part 14 and housed in the node 5 through which the rails 13 pass.

Thus, as shown in fig. 2, the first corrugated reinforcing element 11 makes it possible to reinforce a plurality of consecutive longitudinal portions 6 of the top corrugation 3, while aligning the reinforcing portions 14 even in the presence of asymmetric stresses.

Fig. 2 shows, in part, a row of first corrugated reinforcing elements 11, which are designed to be arranged below the top corrugations 3. The row of first corrugated reinforcing elements 11 comprises a plurality of first corrugated reinforcing elements 11 aligned below said top corrugations 3, it being understood that the alignment of the first corrugated reinforcing elements 11 shown in fig. 2 may also occur over the entire length of the top corrugations 3. Similarly, the second corrugated reinforcement 12 shown in this fig. 2 may be arranged below the bottom corrugation 2 over the entire length of said bottom corrugation 2.

The ends 25 of the guide rails 13 extend in the respective longitudinal portion 6 of the top corrugation 3 up to approximately half the position of the longitudinal portion 6. In other words, the ends 25 of the continuous rails 13 of the first corrugated reinforcing element 11 of the row are substantially housed in a central position towards the same longitudinal portion 6 of the top corrugation 3.

As shown in fig. 2, joint reinforcing portions 26 similar to the reinforcing portions 14 are attached to the two opposite ends 25 of the two continuous rails 13. Such joint reinforcement portions 26 can reinforce the longitudinal portions 6 of the respective top corrugations 3 on the one hand and ensure the alignment of the continuous rails 13 on the other hand, so as to ensure that the first corrugated reinforcing members 11 connected by the joint reinforcement portions 26 remain aligned.

The sliding mounting of the reinforcing portions 14,26 on the rail 13 allows a simple and quick positioning of said reinforcing portions 14,26 on the rail 13, while making it possible to take up any constructive clearance of the sealing membrane. Such sliding is particularly advantageous in the case of engaging the reinforcing portion 26 so as to take up any constructive play between two consecutive guide rails 13. Furthermore, this interaction between the engagement reinforcement 26 and the rail 13 enables the engagement reinforcement 26 to better ensure the alignment of the rail 13 in the top corrugation 3, by the interaction between the peg 23 and each groove 18 of the continuous rail 13 and the interaction between the tab 44 and the continuous rail 13.

Once the reinforcing portions 14,26 are correctly positioned on the guide 13, the reinforcing portions 14,26 can be finally fixed on the guide 13. For example, the reinforced sections 14,26 may be secured by riveting, welding, or any other suitable means. Such a weld or such a rivet is for example produced between the lower wall 15 of the guide rail 13 and the peg 23 of the reinforcing portion 14, 26. In the case where the reinforcing portion 14 is attached to the single rail 13, for example, such fixation occurs at an intermediate position of the reinforcing portion 14 along the longitudinal direction of the reinforcing portion 14. In the case of the joint reinforcement 26, two fixing points may be provided, one on each rail 13, to which the joint reinforcement 26 is attached, for example, along half the length of the part of the rail 13 covered by the rail 13.

The second corrugated reinforcing member 12 shown in fig. 2 and 4 to 7 comprises a lower wall 27 covered by an outer wall 28. The outer wall 28 has a convex shape, for example a dome shape similar to the shape of the bottom corrugation 2, and the outer wall 28 defines a hollow interior space of the second corrugation reinforcement 12. In a manner similar to the reinforcement portion 14, the hollow interior space of the second corrugated reinforcement 12 makes it possible to inertize and/or detect leaks. The lower wall 27 rests on a support surface formed by the thermal insulation barrier. These second corrugated reinforcing members 12 comprise, in a similar manner to the reinforcing portions 14,26 of the first corrugated reinforcing member 11, an internal web 29 by means of which internal web 29 said second corrugated reinforcing member 12 can be reinforced.

In a similar manner to the first corrugated reinforcing element 11, the second corrugated reinforcing element 12, which is accommodated below the bottom corrugations 2, is preferably kept in alignment. The second corrugated reinforcing members 12 of the rows of second corrugated reinforcing members 12 are arranged in the longitudinal portions 6 of the bottom corrugations 2 between two consecutive nodes 5 of said bottom corrugations 2.

However, when the rails 13 of the first corrugated reinforcement 11 pass through the node 5, the second corrugated reinforcement 12 is interrupted at said node 5. In order to ensure the continuity of the second corrugated reinforcing member 12, the sleeve 30 connects the second corrugated reinforcing member 12, although the guide rail 13 interrupts the second corrugated reinforcing member 12, wherein the sleeve 30 passes through the guide rail 13 at the node 5.

To this end, the guide rail 13 comprises a transverse groove 31 at the node 5. The transverse slot 31 extends transversely and perpendicularly to the groove 18 of the guide rail 13.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 7, the transverse slot 31 has an inverted "T" shape. Which extends from the upper surface of the upper wall 17 of the guide rail 13.

The sleeve 30 has a shape complementary to the shape of the transverse slot 31, generally of inverted "T" shape, with a flat base 32 parallel to the lower wall 15 of the guide 13 and an upper vertical wall 33 perpendicular to the flat base 32. Thus, the sleeve 30 may be slidably mounted in the transverse slot 31. Furthermore, the inverted "T" shape of the transverse groove 31 and the sleeve 30 allows said sleeve 30 to be fixed in the transverse groove 31 in the thickness direction of the tank wall.

The sleeve 30 is housed in a transverse groove 31 of the guide 13 so as to project transversely on both sides of said guide 13 and is housed in this transverse groove 31 by sliding in two consecutive second corrugated reinforcing elements 12 of the row of second corrugated reinforcing elements 12. The sleeve keeps the two second corrugated reinforcing elements 12 on either side of the guide rail 13 at the node 5 aligned.

In order to ensure that the second corrugated reinforcement 12 interacts with the sleeve 30, the second corrugated reinforcement 12 comprises an inner shell 34 extending in the longitudinal direction of said second corrugated reinforcement 12. The inner housing 34 is formed by two parallel vertical walls 35, which two parallel vertical walls 35 extend from the inner web 29 towards the lower wall 27 of the second corrugated reinforcing member 12. These vertical walls 35 are spaced apart from each other by a distance corresponding to the thickness of the upper vertical wall 33 of the sleeve 30.

In addition, the lower wall 27 of the second corrugated reinforcing element has a projection 36. Two vertical walls 35 of the housing 34 extend toward the projection 36 and have a lower surface facing the projection 36. The distance between the protrusion 36 and the vertical wall is greater than and preferably close to the thickness of the bottom of the sleeve 30. Thus, the sleeve 30 can be inserted into the housing 34 of the second corrugated reinforcement 12 by sliding in the longitudinal direction of the second corrugated reinforcement. This insertion by sliding makes it possible not only to immobilize the second corrugated reinforcing member 12 with respect to the sleeve and the guide rail 13 by the upper vertical wall 33 of the sleeve 30 laterally abutting against the two vertical walls 35 of the housing 34, but also to make the second corrugated reinforcing member 12 not to move vertically with respect to the sleeve and the guide rail 13 by the bottom 32 of the sleeve 30 abutting against the lower surface of the vertical wall 35 and against the projections 36.

In the variant shown in fig. 7, the guide rail 13 also comprises a secondary transverse groove 45. These secondary transverse grooves 45 extend transversely in the guide rail 13 and perpendicularly to the groove 18 of the guide rail 13. These secondary transverse grooves 45 extend starting from the lower surface of the lower wall 15 of the guide 13.

In fig. 7, only two secondary transverse slots 45 are shown, but the guide rail 13 may comprise a plurality of secondary transverse slots 45 on either side of the transverse slot 31. In this case, the secondary transverse grooves 45 extend alternately from the lower surface of the lower wall 15 of the guide rail and from the upper surface of the upper wall 17 of the guide rail, the secondary transverse grooves 45 adjacent to the transverse grooves 31 extending from the lower surface of the lower wall 15 of the guide rail 13.

Such secondary transverse grooves 45 provide flexibility of the guide rail 13 outside the plane parallel to the support surface, while maintaining satisfactory rigidity in said plane parallel to the support surface.

In one embodiment, not shown, the second corrugated reinforcing element 12 extends in at least two adjacent longitudinal portions 6 of the bottom corrugation 2. In this embodiment, the second corrugated reinforcing element comprises an intermediate portion which performs the same function as the sleeve 30 described above. Unlike the sleeve 30, which is accommodated in the transverse groove 31, however, the middle part of this second corrugated reinforcement covers the middle part 24 of the guide rail 13 aligned with the bottom corrugations 2.

Such a second corrugated reinforcement 12 is for example made by matching a portion of said second corrugated reinforcement 12 according to a matching form complementary to the outer shape of the intermediate portion 24 of the rail 13. Thus, by this matching, the middle portion of the second corrugated reinforcement 12 can be formed and the middle portion 24 of the guide rail 13 can be covered by matching the outer shape of the middle portion 24 of the guide rail 13.

In such an embodiment, the intermediate portion 24 of the guide 13 may advantageously comprise a plurality of secondary transverse grooves 45 as described above, the transverse grooves 31 then being replaced by one of said secondary transverse grooves 45. Similarly, the second corrugated reinforcing member 12 may likewise have transverse grooves similar to the secondary transverse grooves 45, which extend from the top or bottom of the second corrugated reinforcing member 12, preferably alternating between the top and bottom.

Furthermore, as shown in fig. 5, the movement of the second corrugated reinforcement 12 in the longitudinal direction of the bottom corrugation 2 is fixed, wherein the second corrugated reinforcement 12 is accommodated in the bottom corrugation 2 by the lower wall 27 of the second corrugated reinforcement abutting the guide rail 13 of the first corrugated reinforcement 11.

The corrugated reinforcing members 11,12 as shown in fig. 2 to 7 thus advantageously make it possible to maintain a stable and reliable alignment of said corrugated reinforcing members 11,12, which alignment can still advantageously be achieved, including in the presence of asymmetric stresses in the tank. Such corrugated reinforcing elements 11,12 can be made of many materials, for example, from metals, in particular aluminium, metal alloys; plastics, in particular polyethylene, polycarbonate, polyetherimides; or composites comprising fibers, particularly glass fibers bonded with a plastic resin.

The corrugated reinforcing members 11,12 may be produced in various ways. Preferably, these corrugated reinforcements 11,12 are made by extrusion. For example, the guide rail 13, the reinforcing portion 14, and the second corrugated reinforcing member 12 are separated from each other by extrusion to be made into a desired length. In a second step, the guide rail 13 can be machined to create the transverse groove 31.

Fig. 8 shows a sealing membrane element 41 comprising a corrugated metal sheet 1, which corrugated metal sheet 1 accommodates a plurality of first corrugated reinforcements 11 and second corrugated reinforcements 12, as shown in fig. 1. In this figure 8, three first corrugated reinforcing members 11 are accommodated in the top corrugations 3 of the corrugated metal sheet 1, while second corrugated reinforcing members 12 are accommodated in the bottom corrugations 2 between said first corrugated reinforcing members.

Furthermore, as shown in this fig. 8 and 1, the edge 37 of the metal sheet 1 interrupts the corrugations 2,3 between two successive nodes 5 of the sealing film. In other words, the metal sheet 1 has a longitudinal half 38 connecting the edge 37 of the sheet to the node 5 adjacent to said edge 37.

The rails 13 of the first end corrugated stiffener 11 extend in these longitudinal halves 38 and are interrupted substantially at the edges 37. The stiffening halves 39 are attached to the guide rails 13 in the longitudinal halves 38 of the top corrugations 3 to stiffen said longitudinal halves 38. These stiffening halves 39 are similar to the stiffening portion 14 described above, but (differently) the length of these stiffening halves 39 is adapted to the length of the longitudinal halves 38. Similarly, a second corrugated half stiffener 40 is arranged in the longitudinal half 38 of the bottom corrugation 2.

Various methods may be implemented to ensure that the corrugated reinforcing members 11,12,40 remain in the corrugations 2,3 of the metal sheet 1. According to one embodiment, the corrugated reinforcing members 11,12,40 are fixed in the corrugations using double-sided tape or adhesive. According to one embodiment, retaining clips (not shown) are arranged on the edges of the metal sheet 1. These retaining clips 1 comprise a portion arranged on the inner surface of the metal sheet 1 and a portion accommodated in the hollow inner space of the corrugated reinforcing member 11, 40. In this embodiment, the corrugated reinforcing members 11,12,40 may be maintained in the corrugations by the continuity of the rows of corrugated reinforcing members 11,12,40, which is achieved by maintaining the various corrugated reinforcing members 11,12,40 in alignment and securely engaging the reinforcing portion 26 and the sleeve 30.

In one embodiment, the corrugated reinforcing members 11,12 are preassembled to form a frame 46, and the frame 46 may be inserted into a plurality of longitudinal sections 6 and nodes 5 simultaneously. In the example shown in fig. 8, such a frame 46 comprises three rails 13, the reinforcement part 14 being mounted on said rails 13, the second corrugated reinforcement 12 being inserted between said rails 13. In a variant embodiment, the frame 46 may also comprise a second corrugated half reinforcement 40. Such a frame 46 may be arranged such that the frame 46 is inserted into the MxN node 5, where M is the number of rails 13 adjacent to the frame 46, N is the number of nodes 5 traversed by the same rail 13, and M and N are preferably odd numbers. Such an embodiment allows to use the central intermediate portion 24 of the frame as an origin for calculating the contraction gap from the node 5 into which the central intermediate portion 24 is inserted into said node 5.

As shown in fig. 9, the membrane element 41 may be directly attached to the thermal insulation barrier 42. The membrane element 41 can be fixed to the heat insulation barrier 42 by welding the edge 37 of the metal sheet 1 to the anchoring strip 43, wherein for this purpose the anchoring strip 42 is arranged in the support surface formed by the heat insulation barrier 42. Such membrane elements 41 may be attached and secured to each other in a juxtaposed manner on the thermal insulation barrier 42 to form a reinforced sealing membrane anchored on the thermal insulation barrier 42.

According to a mounting variant not shown, it is possible to fix the corrugated reinforcing members 11,12 to the thermal insulation barrier and then attach the corrugated metal sheet to the thermal insulation barrier, for example by means of adhesive or double-sided adhesive tape, so as to accommodate the corrugated reinforcing members 11,12 pre-mounted in the respective corrugations of the corrugated metal sheet.

Fig. 9 shows the sealing membrane during installation. In this fig. 9, therefore, only some of the metal sheets 1 of the sealing film have been anchored to the anchoring strips 43 of the thermal insulation barrier 42.

In the case of different types of storage, the above-described techniques for achieving sealed insulated tanks may be used, for example, to construct the primary sealing membrane of an LNG storage in a land-based unit or a floating structure (e.g., a methane carrier vessel, etc.).

Referring to fig. 10, a cross-sectional view of a methane carrier 70 shows a generally prismatic sealed insulated tank 71 mounted in the double hull 72 of the vessel. The walls of the tank 71 comprise a primary containment barrier designed to be in contact with the LNG contained in the tank; a primary sealing barrier arranged between the primary sealing barrier and the twin hull 72 of the vessel; and two thermal insulation barriers disposed between the primary and secondary containment barriers and between the secondary containment barrier and the twin hull 72, respectively.

In a manner known per se, a loading/unloading pipe 73 arranged on the upper deck of the vessel may be connected by suitable connectors to an offshore or harbour terminal for transporting cargo of LNG to and from the tanks 71.

Fig. 10 shows an example of an offshore terminal comprising a loading and unloading station 75, a subsea pipeline 1076 and a land-based installation 77. The loading and unloading station 75 is a fixed offshore installation comprising a mobile arm 74 and a tower 78, the tower 78 supporting the mobile arm 74. The mobile arm 74 carries a bundle of insulated flexible hoses 79, the insulated flexible hoses 79 being connectable to the loading/unloading duct 73. The orientable moving arm 74 is adaptable to all sizes of methane carrier. A connecting pipe, not shown, extends inside the tower 78. The loading and unloading station 75 allows the methane carrier 70 to be loaded or unloaded to a land-based unit 77. The land-based installation 77 comprises a liquefied gas storage tank 80 and a connecting pipeline 81, the connecting pipeline 81 being connected to the loading or unloading station 75 by means of the underwater pipeline 76. The underwater pipeline 76 allows for the conveyance of liquid gas over a significant distance (e.g., 5km) between the loading or unloading station 75 and the land-based units 77, which allows the methane transport vessel 70 to remain a significant distance from shore during loading and unloading operations.

In order to generate the pressure required for transporting the liquefied gas, pumps in the vessel 70 and/or pumps provided in the land-based installation 77 and/or pumps provided in the loading and unloading station 75 are used.

Although the invention has been described in connection with several specific embodiments, it is obvious that the invention is by no means limited to said several specific embodiments and that the invention comprises all technical equivalents of the resources described and their combinations, as long as all technical equivalents of the resources described and their combinations are within the scope of the invention.

Use of the verb "comprise" or "comprise" and its conjugations does not exclude the presence of elements or steps other than those stated in a claim.

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