Sealed, thermally insulated tank with juxtaposed non-conducting elements

Abstract

A sealed, thermally insulated tank consists of tank walls fixed to the load-bearing structure of a ship, the tank walls having, in succession, in the direction of the thickness from the inside to the outside of the tank, a primary sealing barrier, a primary insulating barrier, a secondary sealing barrier and a secondary insulating barrier, at least one of the insulating barriers consisting essentially of juxtaposed non-conducting elements ( 3 ), each non-conducting element including a thermal insulation liner, at least one panel and load-bearing partitions rising through the thickness of the thermal insulation liner in order to take up the compression forces. These partitions include at least one anti-buckle partition ( 14 ) that includes a plurality of anti-buckle wall elements that have a respective orientation forming an angle relative to a general longitudinal direction of the anti-buckle partition, for example forming corrugations or double-wall portions.

1 . Sealed, thermally insulated tank including at least one tank wall fixed to the hull ( 1 ) of a floating structure, said tank wall having, in succession, in the direction of the thickness from the inside to the outside of said tank, a primary sealing barrier ( 8 ), a primary insulating barrier ( 6 ), a secondary sealing barrier ( 5 ) and a secondary insulating barrier ( 2 ), at least one of said insulating barriers consisting essentially of juxtaposed non-conducting elements ( 3 ,  7 ), each non-conducting element including a thermal insulation liner ( 76 ,  276 ,  376   a - b,    476 ) arranged in the form of a layer parallel to said tank wall, and load-bearing elements ( 75 ,  175 ,  192 ,  193 ,  275 ,  375 ,  475 ,  575 ,  775 ,  875 ,  975 ,  1075 ,  1175 ,  1275 ,  1375 ,  1475 ) that rise through the thickness of said thermal insulation liner in order to take up the compression forces, characterized in that said load-bearing elements of a non-conducting element are produced in the form of at least one load-bearing structure ( 70 ,  170   a,    170   b,    270 ,  370 ,  470 ,  500 ,  600 ,  700 ,  800 ,  1300 ,  1477 ) formed from a single piece including on each occasion linking means ( 71 ,  72 ,  171 ,  172 ,  272 ,  371 ,  372 ,  472 ,  571 ,  771 ,  890 ,  1371 ,  1471 ) that rigidly link said load-bearing elements together and at least one height portion of said load-bearing elements, said at least one load-bearing structure of a non-conducting element ( 70 ,  170   a - b,    270 ,  370 ,  470 ) having the form of a hollow profiled section having a constant cross section in a longitudinal direction.  
   
   
       2 . Sealed, thermally insulated tank according to  claim 1 , characterized in that said linking means of a load-bearing structure include a panel ( 71 ,  72 ,  171 ,  172 ,  272 ,  371 ,  372 ,  472 ,  571 ,  771 ,  1371 ,  1471 ) extending parallel to said tank wall on a side of said non-conducting element, said load-bearing elements projecting from an inner face of said panel.  
   
   
       3 . Sealed, thermally insulated tank according to  claim 1 , characterized in that said load-bearing elements of a load-bearing structure include at least two longitudinal partitions ( 75 ,  175 ,  192 ,  193 ,  275 ,  375 ,  475 ) arranged at a distance from one another in order to define at least one cell ( 73 ,  173 ) of mutually constant cross section, capable of receiving the thermal insulation liner ( 76 ,  276 ,  376   a - b,    476 ).  
   
   
       4 . Sealed, thermally insulated caisson according to  claim 3 , characterized in that said longitudinal partitions include at least one partition ( 75 ,  175 ) substantially perpendicular to said tank wall.  
   
   
       5 . Sealed, thermally insulated tank according to  claim 3 , characterized in that said longitudinal partitions include at least one partition ( 192 ,  193 ) that is inclined relative to said tank wall.  
   
   
       6 . Sealed, thermally insulated tank according to  claim 5 , characterized in that said longitudinal partitions include at least two partitions ( 192 ,  193 ) having inclinations in opposite directions from one another.  
   
   
       7 . Sealed, thermally insulated tank according to  claim 3 , characterized in that said linking means of a load-bearing structure include at least one linking wall ( 71 ,  72 ,  171 ,  172 ,  472 ) connecting said longitudinal partitions ( 75 ,  175 ,  475 ) over their entire length, said longitudinal partitions having a thickening ( 68 ,  168 ,  468 ) in the region of their zones that link with said at least one linking wall.  
   
   
       8 . Sealed, thermally insulated tank according to  claim 3 , characterized in that the non-conducting element ( 70 ,  170   a - b ) includes a base panel and a cover panel and in that at least one of the outermost longitudinal partitions in a lateral direction of the non-conducting element is at a distance from the lateral edge corresponding to at least one of said bottom and cover panels in order to delimit an end cell ( 74 ,  174 ) having an open lateral side.  
   
   
       9 . Tank according to  claim 2 , characterized in that said non-conducting element ( 570 ) includes a second panel ( 572 ) formed independently of said load-bearing structure ( 500 ) and fixed to the end of said load-bearing elements ( 575 ) opposite the first panel ( 571 ) forming said linking means.  
   
   
       10 . Sealed, thermally insulated tank according to  claim 9 , characterized in that the inner face of said second panel has recesses ( 573 ) arranged in such a manner as to interact with said load-bearing elements ( 575 ) by means of flush fitting.  
   
   
       11 . Sealed, thermally insulated tank according to  claim 10 , characterized in that said second panel ( 572 ) has a thermal expansion coefficient that is different from that of said load-bearing elements ( 575 ) so as to give rise to gripping between said second panel and said load-bearing elements flush fitted in the latter when the tank is cooled.  
   
   
       12 . Sealed, thermally insulated tank according to  claim 2 , characterized in that said non-conducting element ( 670 ) has two load-bearing structures ( 500 ) arranged in such a manner that their respective panels have said inner faces turned toward one another, the load-bearing elements ( 575 ) projecting from said inner faces being assembled in pairs in the region of their ends located opposite said panels in order to form, on each occasion, a load-bearing element of said non-conducting element.  
   
   
       13 . Sealed, thermally insulated tank according to  claim 12 , characterized in that an insulating piece ( 680 ) having a thermal conductivity that is lower than that of said load-bearing elements is interposed, on each occasion, between the two assembled load-bearing elements.  
   
   
       14 . Sealed, thermally insulated tank according to  claim 12 , characterized in that the load-bearing elements of the two load-bearing structures are assembled in pairs, on each occasion, by means of a linking piece ( 680 ) having a thermal expansion coefficient that is different from that of said load-bearing elements so as to give rise to gripping between said linking piece and said load-bearing elements ( 575 ) when the tank is cooled.  
   
   
       15 . Sealed, thermally insulated tank according to  claim 1 , characterized in that said at least one load-bearing structure ( 70 ,  170   a - b,    270 ,  370 ,  470 ,  500 ,  600 ,  700 ,  800 ,  1300 ,  1477 ) of a non-conducting element is manufactured by means of a forming process chosen from the group comprising the processes of molding, extrusion, pultrusion, thermoforming, blow-molding, injection-molding and rotational molding.  
   
   
       16 . Sealed, thermally insulated tank according to  claim 1 , characterized in that said at least one insulating barrier ( 2 ,  6 ) consisting of said non-conducting elements ( 70 ,  170   a - b,    870 ) is covered, on each occasion, by one of said sealed barriers ( 5 ,  8 ) that is formed from thin metal plate strakes ( 40 ) with a low expansion coefficient, the edges of which are raised toward the outside of said non-conducting elements, said non-conducting elements having cover panels ( 72 ,  172 ,  872 ) carrying parallel grooves ( 78 ,  178 ) spaced by the width of a plate strake in which weld supports ( 42 ) are slideably retained, each weld support having a continuous wing projecting from the outer face of the cover panel and on whose two faces the raised edges ( 43 ) of two adjacent plate strakes are welded in a leaktight manner.  
   
   
       17 . Sealed, thermally insulated tank according to  claim 16 , characterized in that secondary retention members ( 82 - 84 ) integral with the load-bearing structure of the ship fix the non-conducting elements forming the secondary insulating barrier ( 2 ) against said load-bearing structure ( 1 ), and in that primary retention members ( 48 ) linked to said weld supports ( 42 ) of the secondary sealing barrier ( 5 ) retain said primary insulating barrier against the secondary sealing barrier, said weld supports retaining said secondary sealing barrier against the cover panels of the non-conducting elements of the secondary insulating barrier.  
   
   
       18 . Floating structure, characterized in that it comprises a sealed, thermally insulated tank according to  claim 1 .  
   
   
       19 . Floating structure according to  claim 18 , characterized in that it consists of a methane carrier.  
   
   
       20 . Sealed, thermally insulated tank according to  claim 2 , characterized in that said load-bearing elements of a load-bearing structure include at least two longitudinal partitions ( 75 ,  175 ,  192 ,  193 ,  275 ,  375 ,  475 ) arranged at a distance from one another in order to define at least one cell ( 73 ,  173 ) of mutually constant cross section, capable of receiving the thermal insulation liner ( 76 ,  276 ,  376   a - b,    476 ).