Sealed, thermally insulated tank with compression-resistant non-conducting elements

Abstract

Sealed, thermally insulated tank consisting of tank walls fixed to the load-bearing structure ( 1 ) of a floating structure, said tank walls 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, each non-conducting element including a thermal insulation liner ( 63 ) and load-bearing elements that rise through the thickness of said thermal insulation liner in order to take up the compression forces, characterized in that the load-bearing elements of a non-conducting element include pillars ( 65 ) of small transverse section as compared to the dimensions of the non-conducting element in a plane parallel to said tank wall. Sealed, thermally insulated tank has tank walls fixed to the load-bearing structure ( 1 ) of a floating structure, 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 ( 8 ), a primary insulating barrier ( 6 ), a secondary sealing barrier ( 5 ) and a secondary insulating barrier ( 2 ), at least one of the insulating barriers includes juxtaposed non-conducting elements, each non-conducting element including a thermal insulation liner ( 63 ) and load-bearing elements that rise through the thickness of the thermal insulation liner in order to take up the compression forces, characterized in that the load-bearing elements of a non-conducting element include pillars ( 65 ) of small transverse section as compared to the dimensions of the non-conducting element in a plane parallel to the tank wall.

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 ( 63 ) arranged in the form of a layer parallel to said tank wall, and load-bearing elements that rise through the thickness of said thermal insulation liner in order to take up the compression forces, characterized in that the load-bearing elements of a non-conducting element ( 60 ,  570 ,  670 ,  870 ) include pillars ( 65 ,  575 ,  775 ,  875 ,  975 ,  1075 ,  1175 ,  1275 ) of small transverse section as compared to the dimensions of the non-conducting element in a plane parallel to said tank wall.  
   
   
       2 . Sealed, thermally insulated tank according to  claim 1 , characterized in that said pillars are regularly distributed over the entire surface of the non-conducting element seen in a plane parallel to the tank wall.  
   
   
       3 . Sealed, thermally insulated tank according to  claim 1 , characterized in that said pillars are identically spaced apart in the length direction and in the width direction of the non-conducting element.  
   
   
       4 . Sealed, thermally insulated tank according to  claim 1 , characterized in that said pillars have a closed hollow transverse section.  
   
   
       5 . Sealed, thermally insulated tank according to  claim 4 , characterized in that said pillars are tubes of circular cross section.  
   
   
       6 . Sealed, thermally insulated tank according to  claim 1 , characterized in that said pillars are produced from plastic or a composite.  
   
   
       7 . Sealed, thermally insulated tank according to  claim 1 , characterized in that said insulation liner of the non-conducting element includes a block of synthetic foam ( 63 ).  
   
   
       8 . Sealed, thermally insulated tank according to  claim 7 , characterized in that said block of synthetic foam is obtained by pouring between said pillars so as to embed at least one height portion of said pillars in said block of synthetic foam.  
   
   
       9 . Sealed, thermally insulated tank according to  claim 7 , characterized in that said pillars ( 65 ) are inserted in holes ( 64 ) machined in said block of synthetic foam.  
   
   
       10 . Sealed, thermally insulated tank according to  claim 1 , characterized in that said non-conducting element includes a planar positioning element ( 69 ) arranged parallel to said tank wall in the thickness of the insulation liner and having openings traversed by said pillars ( 65 ) in order to define their mutual positioning.  
   
   
       11 . Sealed, thermally insulated tank according to  claim 1 , characterized in that said non-conducting element includes at least one panel ( 61 ,  62 ,  571 ,  572 ,  711 ,  872 ) extending parallel to said tank wall over at least one side of said non-conducting element.  
   
   
       12 . Sealed, thermally insulated tank according to  claim 11 , characterized in that the inner face of one said panel ( 572 ) has recesses ( 573 ) arranged in such a manner as to interact by flush-fitting with said pillars ( 575 ).  
   
   
       13 . Sealed, thermally insulated tank according to  claim 12 , characterized in that said panel ( 572 ) has a thermal expansion coefficient that is different from that of said pillars ( 575 ) so as to give rise to gripping between said panel and said pillars flush-fitted in it when the tank is cooled.  
   
   
       14 . Sealed, thermally insulated tank according to  claim 11 , characterized in that said non-conducting element has the form of a closed box with a base panel ( 571 ), a cover panel ( 572 ) and peripheral walls ( 601 ) extending between said panels along the edges of the latter.  
   
   
       15 . Floating structure, characterized in that it comprises a sealed, thermally insulated tank according to  claim 1 .  
   
   
       16 . Floating structure according to  claim 15 , characterized in that it consists of a methane carrier.  
   
   
       17 . Sealed, thermally insulated tank according to  claim 2 , characterized in that said pillars are identically spaced apart in the length direction and in the width direction of the non-conducting element.