KR20220087469A - Liquefied natural gas tanks on board ships - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a sealed and thermally insulating tank (26) designed to store a fluid and to rest on a load-bearing structure (6) of a ship, said sealed and thermally insulating tank (26) being a first tank a plurality of tank walls comprising a wall (30) and at least one second tank wall (32), the first tank wall (30) extending predominantly in a first plane and a second tank wall (32) extends mainly in a second plane, wherein the first and second planes are perpendicular to each other, and the first tank wall 30 and the second tank wall 32 form an angular joining part ( 34), the angled joint portion 34 comprising a first portion 56 extending predominantly in a first plane, a second portion 58 extending predominantly in a second plane, and a first and second portion It is characterized in that it has at least one intermediate portion (60) which mainly extends in a plane intersecting the plane.

Description

Liquefied natural gas tanks on board ships

The present invention relates to the field of liquefied natural gas tanks used for sea transport.

Liquefied natural gas is transported by sea in sealed and thermally insulated storage tanks on transport vessels. Because the volume of one liter of natural gas in liquid state is significantly smaller than the volume of one liter of natural gas in gaseous state, natural gas is kept in liquid state to increase the amount of natural gas that can be delivered to the tank. These tanks hold the liquefied natural gas at very low temperatures, more specifically below -163° C., at which temperature the natural gas is liquid at atmospheric pressure.

These liquefied natural gas tanks can also be used as fuel tanks for certain ships. In other words, the vessel loads and stores the liquefied natural gas in tanks before using the liquefied natural gas as fuel.

Liquefied natural gas tanks are generally parallelepiped, and the walls of the tank are supported by the tank or the inner hull of the vessel in which the tanks are installed. More specifically, the hull of a ship in which a tank is installed has an outer hull in contact with the environment outside the ship and an inner hull used as a load-bearing structure for the tank. A reinforcing member is disposed between the outer hull and the inner hull to support the inner hull as well as the walls of the tank or tanks.

Once loaded into the tank, the liquefied natural gas applies pressure to the walls of the tank. The reinforcing member described above allows the walls to withstand this pressure. The junction zones of the walls of the tank, ie the parallelepiped-shaped corners of the tank, are particularly susceptible to weakening by this pressure, and the sealing of the tank in these junction zones of the walls results in contamination of the tank walls by liquefied natural gas, or in some cases must be ensured to prevent leakage from storage tanks caused by the loss of liquefied natural gas.

In this regard, the present invention first relates to a sealed and thermally insulating tank designed to rest on a load-bearing structure of a ship, said sealed and thermally insulating tank comprising a first tank wall and at least one second tank wall a plurality of tank walls comprising: the first tank wall extending predominantly in a first plane and the second tank wall extending predominantly in a second plane, the first and second planes being relative to each other and wherein the first tank wall and the second tank wall are linked by an angular joining part, wherein the angular joining part mainly extends in a plane parallel to the first plane. a first portion, a second portion extending primarily in a plane parallel to the second plane, and at least one intermediate portion extending primarily in a plane intersecting the first and second planes, wherein The thickness of the first part is equal to the thickness of the first tank wall and is arranged to extend this first tank wall, the thickness of the second part of the angled joint part is equal to the thickness of the second tank wall, and this second It is characterized in that it is arranged to extend the tank wall.

The tank is designed to contain liquefied natural gas, which must be at a temperature below -160°C to remain liquid at atmospheric pressure. Thus, the tank includes a series of layers to provide an optimal seal to first ensure that the liquefied natural gas is maintained at a temperature below -160° C. and secondly to reduce the risk of liquefied natural gas leakage. Such tanks can be used in particular for storing liquefied natural gas during voyages or when docked, for example before unloading, or for powering the machinery of a vessel on which the tank is mounted. If the liquefied natural gas is maintained in the tank at a pressure above atmospheric pressure, this temperature of the liquefied natural gas may increase. For example, a tank can be used at a pressure of 1 bar gauge, in which case natural gas can be kept in a liquid state at a maximum temperature of -152°C.

Since a tank with a membrane is not a self-supporting structure, the tank is supported by the vessel's inner hull forming a load-bearing structure. The inner hull is designed to house the tank and withstand the pressure exerted by the liquefied natural gas stored in the tank on the tank walls.

The tank has at least two walls, the two walls being perpendicular to each other. The stored liquefied natural gas applies pressure to each of these walls, and the structure of the tank with the junction according to the invention is located in the junction zone between the two walls, in order to limit the risk of the liquefied natural gas leaking from this junction zone. Allows the applied pressure to be managed.

It is noteworthy that the joint portion comprises three portions, two of which (referred to herein as first portion and second portion) are each arranged in a plane parallel to the plane containing one of the tank sidewalls, the second The three parts (called the middle part) are inclined with respect to each of the other parts. This third part forms an intermediate part disposed between the two other parts and is designed to distribute the pressure exerted by the liquefied natural gas towards each of the tank sidewalls. As stated, the thickness of the angled joint portion and/or the angled joint element is similar or substantially similar to the thickness of the first tank wall and/or the thickness of the second tank wall within manufacturing tolerances such that the angled joint portion is formed at the corner of the tank. Provides structural continuity of the tank, providing a structural link between two vertical sidewalls that primarily form the tank but are not continuous with each other.

According to another optional feature of the invention, the sealed insulated tank has at least one third tank wall extending mainly in a first plane, a second plane and a third plane perpendicular to the intersecting plane, the first tank wall and a first bonding zone with a second tank wall, the bonding zone having an angled bonding element, the angled bonding element having a first portion and a second portion, the first portion extending predominantly in a first plane section, a second section extending predominantly in a second plane, and an intermediate section extending predominantly in an intersecting plane, the second part having a return wall perpendicular to the first part and extending predominantly in a third plane.

The third tank wall extends in a plane that includes the first tank wall, a plane that includes the second tank wall, and a plane that is perpendicular to a plane that includes the first portion, the second portion and the intermediate portion of the junction portion.

Thus, the joining element is formed by the first part in a plane extending from the first tank wall, the second tank wall and the angled joint part and due to the second part in the plane comprising the third tank wall, the third tank A link is provided between the wall and the first tank wall and between the second tank wall and the abutment portion.

The angled joining element also distributes the pressure exerted by the liquefied natural gas in the linkage zones of the first tank wall, the second tank wall and the third tank wall to the inner face of the tank.

According to an optional feature of the invention, the angled joint portion and/or the angled joint element has an inner face and an outer face, respectively, the inner face defining an internal chamfer in the middle part or the middle section, the The outer face forms an outer chamfer in the middle portion or intermediate section, the inner and outer chamfers being inclined at an angle between 120° and 150° with respect to the first and second planes.

The third part, ie the middle part, of the joint part between the first tank wall and the second tank wall is advantageously of a plane extending the first part and the second part of the joint part called the first part or the second part, respectively. They are inclined at an angle of 135°, ±15° to each other, so that the pressure exerted by the liquefied natural gas is equally well distributed on one or the other of the sidewalls linked by the joint.

Like the angled joint portion, the third portion of the joint portion between the first tank wall and the second tank wall is inclined at 135°, ±15° to each of the planes extending the first and second portions of the joint portion. have.

According to another optional feature of the invention, the dimensions of the middle portion of the angled joint portion measured between the first and second portions of the angled joint portion and/or the first section and the first section of the angled joint element The dimension of the intermediate section of the angled joining element, measured therebetween, increases from the inner face toward the outer face.

Consequently, the inner surface, and more specifically the inner chamfer as mentioned above, is narrower than the outer surface, more specifically the outer chamfer, and the width is a dimension perpendicular to the longitudinal direction in which the joint portion mainly extends.

According to another optional feature of the present invention, the angled joint portion and/or the angled joint element comprises a secondary thermal insulation barrier designed to contact the load-bearing structure continuously in a thickness direction from the outside towards the inside of the tank, 2 a secondary sealing membrane supported by the primary insulating barrier, a primary insulating barrier overlying the secondary sealing membrane, and a primary sealing membrane supported by the primary insulating barrier designed to contact the fluid contained in the sealed insulating tank. include

The tank wall and joint portion of the liquefied natural gas storage tank include at least one secondary space and one primary space, the secondary space of the tank wall being mounted on the inner hull of the vessel by mastic beads. have. The secondary space comprises a secondary insulating barrier and secondary sealing membrane continuously from the outer face to the inner face of the tank. The primary space comprises a primary insulating barrier and a primary sealing membrane continuously from the outer face of the tank toward the inner face of the tank.

According to another optional feature of the present invention, the secondary space of the joint portion comprising at least one secondary insulating barrier and one secondary sealing membrane is arranged to extend the secondary space of the tank wall extended by the joint portion. and these two secondary spaces have the same configuration. Similarly, the primary space of the junction portion comprising at least one primary insulating barrier and one primary sealing membrane is arranged to extend the primary space of the tank wall extended by the junction portion, wherein these two primary The space has the same configuration.

The insulating barrier helps maintain the temperature of the liquefied natural gas stored in the storage tank by limiting heat exchange between the environment outside the storage tank and the inside of the storage tank. The sealing membrane prevents any leakage of liquefied natural gas.

According to another optional feature of the present invention, the secondary insulating barrier and the secondary sealing membrane of the angled bonding portion and/or the angled bonding element are, respectively, in a given direction the same of the primary insulating barrier and the primary sealing membrane. has a dimension greater than the corresponding dimension in the direction.

The first portion of the angled joint portion lies mainly in the first plane of the intermediate portion in the vertical direction. The dimension of the secondary space measured in the vertical direction is larger than the dimension of the primary space also measured in the vertical direction in the first part. This applies similarly to the first section of the angled joining element.

The second portion of the angled joint portion mainly lies in the second plane of the intermediate portion in the transverse direction. The dimension of the secondary space measured in the transverse direction is greater than the dimension of the primary space also measured in the transverse direction in the second part. This applies similarly to the second section of the angled joining element.

The first portion, the second portion and the middle portion of the angled joint portion extend in a longitudinal direction common to all three portions. The dimension of the secondary space measured in the longitudinal direction is larger than the dimension of the space also measured in the longitudinal direction at each part of the angled joint portion. This applies similarly to each section of the angled joint element.

The secondary space is not covered at the end of the junction part so that the secondary sealing membrane is empty. During assembly of the tank, the primary space panel is then positioned to overlap the first part of the joint part and the first tank wall simultaneously, the panel rigidly connecting the joining element to the first tank wall. The same assembly is used between the second part of the joint part and the second tank wall as well as the first section, the second section and the return wall of the angled joining element.

The return wall lies in a plane perpendicular to the first plane, the second plane and the intersecting plane and parallel to the vertical and transverse directions. The dimension of the secondary space measured in the vertical direction is greater than the dimension of the primary space also measured in the vertical direction at the return wall. Further, the dimension of the secondary space measured in the transverse direction is greater than the dimension of the primary space also measured transversely at the return wall.

According to another optional feature of the invention, the dimensions of the first part and/or the second part of the angled joint part are the same as the dimension of the middle part.

The invention also relates to a ship comprising at least one sealed tank as described above.

According to an optional feature of the present invention, the ship has an outer hull and a load-bearing structure, the load-bearing structure being designed to receive the sealed insulated tank, the load-bearing structure being a third extending mainly along a first plane a first load-bearing wall and a second load-bearing wall extending primarily along a second plane, the first and second load-bearing walls being substantially vertical, and wherein the clearance zone is of the load-bearing structure of the junction zone. A reinforcing element is provided between the load-bearing wall and the middle portion of the angled joint portion, and a reinforcing element is seated in the clearance zone.

This reinforcing element provides a support surface for the angled joint portion, substantially perpendicular to the direction of pressure exerted by the liquefied natural gas present in the tank, in the joining zone of the tank wall.

According to another optional feature of the present invention, the reinforcing element has a triangular section, the angle of the apex of the reinforcing element is equal to a right angle formed between the first load-bearing wall and the second load-bearing wall, the reinforcing element comprising: It has a contact surface with an intermediate portion opposite the apex.

The contact surface of this reinforcing element is flat and square, so that following contact between the reinforcing element and the middle portion of the angled joint portion, the stress is uniformly distributed over the entire contact surface forming the supporting surface. Alternatively, this contact surface may have a faceted profile formed by a plurality of flat surfaces inclined with respect to one another to form a profile that curves toward the interior of the reinforcing element. Alternatively, to facilitate the construction of the reinforcing element, in particular arranged at the junction of the load-bearing wall of the load-bearing structure, this contact surface may have a curved profile with the generally concave shape of the reinforcing element. With reference to the curved surface, the reinforcing member and/or the filling material may be arranged in the space thus formed between the contact surface and the intermediate portion of the angled joint portion.

According to another optional feature of the present invention, the outer hull has a plurality of reinforcing members in contact with the load-bearing structure, the concentration of the reinforcing members being smaller in the vicinity of the angled joint portion and/or in the vicinity of the angled joint element.

In other words, the distance between two adjacent reinforcing members of the plurality of reinforcing members arranged between the outer hull and the load-bearing structure changes as a function of the proximity to the angled joint portion, and this distance becomes larger the closer to the angled joint portion .

These reinforcing members help to transfer the pressure exerted by the liquefied natural gas in the tank to the outer hull of the vessel. The presence of the angled joint portion and/or the angled joint element helps to better distribute the pressure exerted by the liquefied natural gas towards the tank wall, thereby reducing the need for reinforcing members in this joint zone.

According to another optional feature of the invention, the dimension of the intermediate portion of the angled joint portion is determined as a function of the position of the reinforcing member closest to the corner of the internal load-bearing structure in which the angled joint portion is located,

where D60 is the dimension of the middle part and d is the distance between the first reinforcing member and the corner of the internal load-bearing structure.

The aforementioned dimensions of the intermediate portion are the outer face of this intermediate portion between a first linked edge forming a joint between the intermediate portion and the first portion and a second linked edge forming a joint between the intermediate portion and the second portion. is the length of

Other features, details and advantages of the present invention are more clearly set forth in the description that follows, as well as several illustrative examples, which are provided by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings.
1 is a side view of a transport vessel showing at least one tank of liquefied natural gas;
2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a tank comprising an outer hull, a reinforcing member, and at least one angled joint portion arranged between a different tank sidewall and a hull comprising an inner load-bearing structure having the tank;
3 is a view showing the inside of a plurality of bonding parts.
4 is a cross-sectional view of the tank, the inner load-bearing structure and the outer hull at the link between the two tank sidewalls;
5 is a view from inside the tank of the angled joining element and the first transverse tank wall;
6 is a view from inside the tank of at least one angled joint part and at least one angled joint element;
Fig. 7 is a view similar to that of Fig. 4 and is a cross-sectional view of a particular embodiment of the tank, the inner load-bearing structure, the reinforcing member and the outer hull;
Fig. 8 shows a variant of the embodiment of Fig. 7;

Features, modifications and different embodiments of the present invention may be associated with each other in different combinations if not interchangeable or mutually exclusive. In particular, variants of the invention comprising only a selection of features described below apart from other described features are also possible, wherein the choice of features provides technical advantages and/or distinguishes the invention from the prior art. Suffice.

1 shows a carrier 200 having four tanks 26 for transporting or storing liquefied natural gas, for example a liquefied natural gas carrier, one of which can be viewed for illustration purposes. The transport ship 200 may be designed to store and transport only such liquefied natural gas, or to use liquefied natural gas as a fuel for operating the ship.

As shown in particular in FIG. 2 , such a vessel has a hull 2 comprising at least one outer hull 4 and an inner load-bearing structure 6 , between the outer hull and the inner load-bearing structure a plurality of reinforcements. The members 8 , 10 are arranged. The outer hull 4 is in contact with the environment outside the vessel, generally the marine and/or river environment. An inner load-bearing structure 6 extends away from this outer hull. The dimensions of the reinforcing members determine the gap between the outer hull 4 and the inner load-bearing structure 6 , each reinforcing member being rigidly connected to the outer hull 4 at a first end 12 and at a second end in contact with the internal load-bearing structure (6). Reinforcing elements are advantageously provided for the entire internal load-bearing structure 6 .

The internal load-bearing structure 6 has a plurality of load-bearing walls comprising a first load-bearing side wall 18 and at least one second load-bearing side wall 20 lying in a vertical plane. The first load-bearing side wall 18 has a first longitudinal side 21 , and the second load bearing side wall 20 has a second longitudinal side 23 , wherein the second load-bearing side wall 20 has Adjacent to the first load-bearing sidewall 18 .

In other words, the first load-bearing sidewall 18 and the second load-bearing sidewall 20 are the first longitudinal side 21 of the first load-bearing sidewall 18 and the second load-bearing sidewall 20 of the first load-bearing sidewall 18 . perpendicular to each other in the junction zone 24 between the two longitudinal sides 18 .

The internal load-bearing structure 6 comprises at least one sealed and insulated tank 26 , said tank 26 being designed to contain liquefied natural gas. The sealed insulated tank 26 has an inner face 27 which is in contact with liquefied natural gas when the gas is stored in the sealed insulated tank, a plurality of load-bearing walls and in particular the first or second of the internal load-bearing structures 6 . 2 having an outer face (29) resting on the load-bearing sidewalls (18, 20).

The sealed insulated tank 26 is advantageously cuboid. Accordingly, the sealed insulated tank 26 has a plurality of tank walls comprising a first tank sidewall 30 and at least one second tank sidewall 32 .

Each tank sidewall 30 , 32 rests on a corresponding load bearing sidewall 18 , 20 . In the more specifically illustrated example, the outer face 29 of the first tank sidewall 30 rests on the first load-bearing sidewall 18 of the inner load-bearing structure 6 , and the The outer face rests on the second load-bearing sidewall 20 of the inner load-bearing structure 6 .

As a result of the foregoing, the second tank sidewall 32 and the first tank sidewall 30 lie in a plane perpendicular to each other.

According to the invention, the first tank sidewall 30 and the second tank sidewall 32 are rigidly connected to each other by at least one angled joint portion 34 according to the invention arranged in the aforementioned joint zone 24 . Linked.

2 , 4 , 7 and 8 , the angled joint portion 34 extends each of the tank sidewalls, the thickness of the first tank sidewall 30 and the second tank sidewall 32 and have similar or substantially similar (within manufacturing tolerances) thicknesses. In other words, the angled joint provides structural continuity to the tank by creating a link between two vertical sidewalls that primarily form the tank but are not continuous with each other.

The thickness of one of the tank side walls 30 , 32 is in this case measured between the inner face 27 and the outer face 29 , in a direction perpendicular to the plane in which the tank side wall 30 , 32 in question lies predominantly. Thus, in the illustrated embodiment, the thickness of the first tank sidewall 30 is measured in a direction parallel to the transverse axis B, and the thickness of the second tank sidewall 32 is measured along the vertical axis C. .

More specifically, a first part of the angled joint part is arranged to extend a first tank sidewall 30 , said first part and said first tank sidewall being parallel to each other, in this case parallel to the transverse axis B each have similar or substantially similar thickness values measured along one axis. Similarly, the second part of the angled joint part is arranged to extend the second tank sidewall 32, the second part and the second tank sidewall having an axis parallel to each other, in this case parallel to the vertical axis C and have similar or substantially similar thickness values measured according to each other.

Advantageously, the angled joint portion 34 has a first thickness similar to the thickness of the first tank side wall 30 at least in the contact zone between the angled joint portion 34 and the first tank side wall 30 , at least the angled joint portion It has a second thickness similar to the thickness of the second tank sidewall 32 in the contact zone between 34 and the second tank sidewall 32 .

The structure of this angled joint portion 34 is described in more detail below with particular reference to FIGS. 3 and 4 . Depending on the structure of the tank walls 30 , 32 linked by an angled junction part 34 , said part continuously from the outer face to the inner face, a secondary insulating barrier 36 , a secondary sealing membrane 38 . , a primary insulating barrier 40 and a primary sealing membrane 42 . The secondary insulating barrier 36 and the secondary sealing membrane 38 form the secondary space 37 , and the primary insulating barrier 40 and the primary sealing membrane 42 form the primary space 41 . do.

As described above and as will be explained in more detail below, firstly the primary space of the angled junction, formed by the primary insulating barrier 40 and the primary sealing membrane 42 , is the first tank sidewall 30 . ) of the same primary space and the same primary space of the second tank sidewall 32 , and secondly of the angled joint portion formed by the secondary insulating barrier 36 and the secondary sealing membrane 38 . The secondary space extends both the same secondary space of the first tank sidewall 30 and the same secondary space of the second tank sidewall 32 .

The secondary insulating barrier 36 comprises a first insulating wall 44 and a first insulating layer 46 continuously from the outer face of the tank towards the secondary sealing membrane 38 . The first insulating wall 44 is a board having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The board is advantageously made of plywood, for example wooden plywood. The dimensions of the board are adapted to the size of the block of secondary insulating barrier 36 .

The first thermal insulation layer 46 may be made of a porous plastic material such as, for example, polyurethane foam, and provides an effective and well-distributed thermal insulation between the insulating walls.

The angled joint portion 34 also comprises a second insulating wall 51 overlapping the first insulating layer 46 , between the first layer and the secondary sealing membrane 38 . This second insulating wall 51 , which is also formed advantageously by a board made of plywood, for example a wooden plywood, is not necessarily provided in the construction of the tank wall, but is arranged in particular at the angled joint. This second insulating wall 51 is provided in particular to better withstand the pressure created at the wall junction by the natural gas in the tank.

The secondary insulating barrier 36 , more particularly the second insulating wall 51 , is rigidly connected to the secondary sealing membrane 38 , for example by adhesion.

The secondary sealing membrane 38 includes a flexible secondary sealing membrane 48 and a rigid secondary sealing membrane 49 .

More specifically, a rigid secondary sealing membrane 49 for each portion 56 , 58 , 60 of the angled joint portion 34 , common to all of the portions and covering the flat surface of the secondary thermal insulation barrier 36 . There is a flexible secondary sealing member 48 that at least partially covers each of the rigid secondary sealing membranes 49 . The secondary insulating barrier of each portion of the angled joint portion 34 is covered with a rigid secondary sealing membrane 49 , but the intersection between the respective portions remains uncovered. A flexible secondary sealing membrane 48 is provided between each portion 56 , 58 , 60 of the angled joint portion 34 and each rigid secondary sealing membrane 49 covering the portion 56 , 58 , 60 . positioned to cover the intersection between them, reducing the risk of contamination in these hazardous zones. The flexible secondary sealing membrane 48 is a triple strip comprising an aluminum sheet bonded between two braided glass mats. These components of the triple strip are not shown in all figures. The flexible secondary sealing membrane 48 contacts and adheres to both the rigid secondary sealing membrane 49 and the primary insulating barrier 40 .

A rigid secondary sealing membrane 49 comprises an aluminum sheet bonded between two braided glass mats dipped in a polymer resin.

The primary insulating barrier 40 includes a second insulating layer 52 and a third insulating wall 54, each of which has the same configuration and function as described above.

During assembling the sealed insulated tank 26 , the angled joint portion 34 and the plurality of tank walls are mounted using assembly panels arranged next to each other, each with a respective joint portion 34 and the plurality of tank walls. It contains different elements constituting the These assembly panels may be made of stainless steel and covered by a pleated primary sealing membrane 42 . The primary sealing membrane 42 may alternatively be made of Invar® sheet.

Each of the tank sidewalls 30 , 32 lies in a main plane of extension, these planes of extension perpendicular to each other, and an angled joint portion 34 extends in three different planes, and an angled joint portion 34 extends into these three different planes. and at least three different portions each extending in one of the different planes.

According to a first embodiment, the angled joint portion 34 has a first portion 56 , a second portion 58 , and at least one intermediate portion 60 . The number of intermediate portions is not limited, and it is to be understood that the present invention includes, for example, an angled joint portion 34 having four portions, the two intermediate portions forming the first portion 56 with the second portion ( 58) is linked.

As shown, the first portion 56 extends the middle portion 60 in a vertical direction substantially parallel to the vertical axis C, and the second portion 58 is substantially parallel to the transverse axis B. Extend the middle part in one vertical transverse direction.

The first portion 56 and the second portion 58 each have primary and secondary spaces 41 and 37 that do not extend in equal dimensions in a given direction from the intermediate portion. 3 , the dimension of the primary space 41 of the first part 56 measured in the vertical direction is also the dimension of the secondary space 37 of this first part 56 measured in the vertical direction. shorter than the dimension, so that the primary space 41 does not completely cover the secondary space 37 . Similarly, the dimension of the primary space 41 of the second part 58 measured in the transverse direction is also shorter than the dimension of the secondary space 37 of this second part 58 measured in the transverse direction, The primary space 41 therefore also does not completely cover the secondary space 37 in this case.

A first portion 56 of the angled joint portion 34 extends primarily in the plane of main extension of the first tank sidewall 30 , thereby extending this first tank sidewall. The first portion 56 has a first free edge 62 and a second free edge 64 , the two free edges extending opposite the intermediate portion 60 , the difference in length of the primary and secondary spaces is distinguished by More specifically, the primary space 41 of the first portion 56 helps to form a first free edge 62 , and the secondary space 37 of the first portion 56 has a second free edge ( 64) helps to form Consequently, the secondary sealing membrane 38 is uncovered in the first portion 56 of the angled joint portion 34 from the first free edge 62 to the second free edge 64, and the first tank sidewall ( 30) is designed to be covered by the primary insulating barrier (40).

As noted above and more particularly shown in FIG. 4 , the first portion 56 structurally extends and at least along the vertical axis C towards the middle portion 58 the first tank sidewall 30 ) and similar thickness. More specifically, the secondary space 37 forming the first part 56 extends vertically in this case the secondary space 37 forming the first tank sidewall 30 , and the first part 56 ) forming the primary space 41 extends the primary space 41 forming the first tank sidewall 30 in the same vertical direction. Also, the primary sealing membrane 42 and the secondary sealing membrane 38 are continuous between the first portion 58 of the angled junction portion 34 and the first tank sidewall 30 .

A second portion 58 of the angled joint portion 34 extends primarily in the plane of main extension of the second tank sidewall 32 to extend this second tank sidewall. The above description of the first part 56 also applies to the structure of the second part 58 , the third free edge 68 and the fourth free edge 70 being the primary of this second part 58 . It is formed by a space 41 and a secondary space 37, respectively.

The second portion 58 of the angled joint portion 34 also extends structurally and has a thickness similar to the second tank sidewall 32 along the transverse axis B towards the middle portion 58 . More specifically, the secondary space 37 forming the second part 58 extends transversely in this case the secondary space 37 forming the second tank sidewall 32 , and the second part 58 ), the primary space 41 forming the second tank sidewall 32 extends in the same transverse direction as the primary space 41 . Also, the primary sealing membrane 42 and the secondary sealing membrane 38 are continuous between the second portion 58 of the angled junction portion 34 and the second tank sidewall 32 .

The first portion 56 and the second portion 58 of the angled joint portion 34 extend in planes perpendicular to each other. The first portion 56 is not adjacent to the second portion 58 due to the presence of the intermediate portion 60 rigidly connected to the first portion 56 and the second portion 58 of the angled joint portion 34 . . A first portion 56 is rigidly connected to the intermediate portion 60 at a first linked edge 66 , and a second portion 58 is rigidly connected to the intermediate portion 60 at a second linked edge 72 . is closely connected

The intermediate portion 60 primarily extends in an inclined plane that intersects firstly with the main extension plane of the first portion 56 and secondly with the main extension plane of the second portion 58 . The aforementioned linked edges 66 , 72 form a junction between each of the portions and each of the corresponding main planes.

Thus, according to the present invention, the intermediate part 60 forms a wall inclined for two parts each extending one of the tank side walls perpendicular to each other.

More specifically, in the illustrated embodiment in which a single intermediate portion 60 is disposed between the two portions 56, 58, the inclined plane mainly comprising the intermediate portion has an angle of approximately 135°, whereby the second The first portion 56 and the first sidewall 30 extend on one side, whereby the second portion 58 and the second sidewall 32 extend on the other side.

This arrangement of the different portions of the angled joint portion 34 is such that the dimensions measured between the first portion 56 and the second portion 58 of the intermediate portion 60 are sealed on the inner face 27 of the insulated tank 26 . ) from ) towards the outer surface 29 . In other words, the dimension of the intermediate portion 60 between the first linked edge 66 of the first portion 56 and the second linked edge 72 of the second portion 58 on the inner face 27 is smaller than the dimension of the intermediate portion between the first linked edge 66 of the first portion 56 and the second linked edge 72 of the second portion 58 on the outer face 29 .

The angled joint portion 34 according to the invention is for optimizing the distribution of pressure exerted by the liquefied natural gas, the pressure being applied to the junction zone 24 of the walls constituting a plurality of tank walls of the sealed insulated tank 26 . ) is indicated by an arrow (D) in FIG. 4 . The pressure exerted on the inner surface 27 by the liquefied natural gas in the tank 26 in the first portion 56 or the second portion 58 is applied to the first space 41 corresponding to the angled joint portion 34 . and distributed towards the outer face 29 over the entirety of the corresponding second space 37 , ie over a larger area. The pressure exerted by the liquefied natural gas on the inner surface 27 of the intermediate portion 60 is distributed over the entire outer surface 29 of this intermediate portion 60 , again over a larger area. The pressure force from the liquefied natural gas is distributed over the larger support surface of the outer face 29 designed to contact the inner load bearing structure 6 .

As shown in Figure 3, the angled joint portion 34 is an angled joint module 74 that may be sequentially arranged with other similar modules in turn along a longitudinal axis A, an axis shared by the two tank sidewalls. help to form Thus, the first portion 56 , the second portion 58 , and the intermediate portion 60 of each angled joint portion 34 are the first portion, the second portion and the second portion of the other angled joint portion 34 of the angled joint module 74 . 2 part and aligned with the middle part.

Each angled bonding module 74 has a first longitudinal end 75 and a second longitudinal end 77 . The sealing membrane 38 of the secondary space 37 is uncovered at at least one of the longitudinal ends of the plurality of angled bonding modules 74 .

As shown in FIG. 4 , each angled bonding module 74 cooperates with a first tank wall 30 and a second tank wall 32 . The first portion 56 of the angled joint portion 34 of each angled joint module 74 is designed to contact the first tank wall 30 at a first free edge 62 and a second free edge 64 . do. Accordingly, the secondary space 37 of the first part 56 of each part forming the angled bonding module 74 is arranged as a continuation of the secondary space 37 of the first tank wall 30 , each The primary space 41 of the first part 56 of each part forming the angled bonding module 74 of the is also arranged as a continuation of the primary space 41 of the first tank wall 30 . The secondary space 37 of the first part 56 of the parts forming the respective angled bonding module 74 in the part not covered by the primary space extends to the first free edge 62 of the first tank wall ( 30) is covered by the primary space 41 . Similarly, the secondary space 37 of the second part 58 of each part forming the angled bonding module 74 is arranged as a continuation of the secondary space 37 of the second tank wall 32, The primary space 41 of the second part 58 of each part forming the angled bonding module 74 is arranged as a continuation of the primary space 41 of the second tank wall 32 . The second space 37 of the second portion 58 of the portion forming the angled joint module 74 in the portion not covered by the primary space extends to the third free edge 68 of the second tank wall 32 ) is covered by the primary space 41 .

The side walls 30 , 32 of the sealed insulated tank 26 rest directly on the load-bearing walls 18 , 20 of the internal load-bearing structure 6 . The same is true of the outer faces of the first and second portions of the angled joint portions extending substantially perpendicular to each other. More specifically, the outer face 29 of the first tank wall 30 and the outer face of the first portion 56 of the angled joint are connected to the inner load-bearing structure 6 via a mastic bead (not shown). resting on the first load-bearing wall 18 , otherwise the outer face 29 of the second tank wall 32 and the outer face of the second portion 58 of the angled joint portion are mastic beads (not shown) ) rests on the second load-bearing wall 20 of the internal load-bearing structure 6 .

The outer face 29 of the intermediate portion 60 , which extends in a plane inclined with respect to the main extension plane of the first and second tank sidewalls, is connected to the intermediate portion 60 and the inner load-bearing structure 6 in the junction zone 24 . a chamfer in between, and thus a clearance zone 76Z.

As shown in FIG. 4 , the internal load-bearing structure 6 is loaded into this junction zone 24 , ie at the corner formed between the first load-bearing sidewall 18 and the second load-bearing sidewall 20 . It has a reinforcing element 78 designed to contact each of the supporting sidewalls and the outer face 29 of the intermediate portion 60 . In other words, the internal load-bearing structure 6 is provided with a reinforcing element 78 designed to fill the clearance zone 76 . In this case, the reinforcing element 78 comprises a contact surface 80 forming a stop that prevents the intermediate part from moving under the influence of the pressure exerted by the liquefied natural gas in the tank, and at the corners of the bonding zone 24 . It has a triangular section similar in shape to that of the clearance zone, with opposing contacts 82 having an angle substantially equal to 90° to fit the shape. Advantageously, the reinforcing element 78 extends primarily along the longitudinal axis A to form a reinforcing member for each of the angled joint portions 34 . The reinforcing element 78 may in particular be a plate forming longitudinal ribs arranged at 135° from each of the load-bearing walls of the internal load-bearing structure.

As particularly shown in FIG. 4 , the contact surface 80 faces the middle portion 60 of the angled joint portion 34 . In the starting position, in the absence of pressure applied to the angled joint portion by the liquefied gas, the reinforcing element 78 and the angled joint portion 34 move from the contact surface 80 of the reinforcing element to the middle portion of the angled joint portion 34 ( It helps to define the space extending to the outer face 29 of 60 . This space is in this case between the outer face 29 and the contact face 80 of the intermediate part 60 along an axis perpendicular to the main plane comprising the two faces, namely the contact face 80 and the reinforcing element 78 . The outer face 29 of the intermediate portion 60 is regular along the measured dimensions and/or is constant. In other words, the contact face 80 of the reinforcing element 78 and the outer face 29 of the intermediate part 60 each lie in a plane parallel to the plane containing the other face.

Next, the pressure exerted on the inner surface 27 of the intermediate portion 60 by the liquefied gas is applied directly between the outer surface 29 of the intermediate portion 60 and the contact surface 80 of the reinforcing element 78 . includes contact.

Accordingly, the outer surface 29 of the intermediate portion 60 of the plurality of angled joint portions 34 rests on the reinforcing element 78 . Next, the pressure exerted by liquefied natural gas stored in a sealed insulated tank 26 on the inner face 27 of the intermediate portion 60 is applied over the outer face 29 of each portion of the corresponding angled joint portion 34 . Distributed more readily, the reinforcing element 78 forms at the contact face a face substantially perpendicular to the general direction of the pressure of the liquefied natural gas in this junction zone 24 of the tank. Thus, the pressure exerted by the liquefied natural gas stored in the sealed insulated tank 26 is better distributed, reducing the risk of leaks occurring in the primary sealing membrane 42 .

Advantageously, this pressure distribution for the different elements of the sealed insulated tank 26 and the internal load-bearing structure 6 is dependent on the aforementioned concentration of the reinforcing elements 8 , 10 , more specifically the internal load-bearing structure 6 . The concentration of the first plurality of reinforcing members 8 arranged between the first load-bearing wall 18 of the outer hull 4 and the second load-bearing wall 20 of the inner load-bearing structure 6 and the outer The concentration of the second plurality of reinforcing members 10 arranged between the hulls 4 is affected.

As shown in particular in FIGS. 2 and 4 , less reinforcing elements 8 , 10 are thus required in the vicinity of the bonding zone 24 , and only one first reinforcement from each of the plurality of reinforcing elements 8 , 10 . While members 84 , 90 can contact the corresponding load bearing walls 18 , 20 of the inner load bearing structure 6 in the junction zone 24 , several reinforcing members 86 , 88 , 92 , 94 . can contact the load-bearing walls 18 , 20 away from this bonding zone 24 . Accordingly, the concentration of the reinforcing member is reduced in the vicinity of the angled joint portion.

For each plurality of reinforcing members respectively facing one or the other of the load-bearing walls 18, 20, the second reinforcing member 86, 92 comprises a first reinforcing member 84, 90 and a third reinforcing member ( 88, 94). The reduced concentration of the reinforcing member in the bonding zone and the angled bonding portion is such that the distance separating the second reinforcing member 86, 92 and the third reinforcing member 88, 94 is the first reinforcing member 84, 90 from the first reinforcing member 84, 90. 2 means less than the distance separating the reinforcing members 86 and 92 .

4 , the first reinforcing members 84 , 90 of each of the plurality of reinforcing members are connected to the load-bearing sidewalls of the internal load-bearing structure 6 at the reinforcing element 78 without limiting the invention. contact

As shown in Figures 2 and 7, these first reinforcing members 84, 90 are located in the bonding zone away from the reinforcing element, more specifically in the zone covered by the first or second portion of the angled bonding portion. can be arranged in

Each sidewall 18 , 20 of the tank may have a proximal zone 101 and a distal zone 103 determined as a function of its positioning relative to the nearest junction zone 24 , both zones of which are of an angled junction part. to each other by a boundary at the free edge of the secondary space, in particular in the extension of the second free edge 64 to the first tank sidewall 18 and the fourth free edge 70 to the second tank sidewall 20 . limited to The proximal zone 101 is the zone between the junction zone 24 and this boundary, and the distal zone 103 is the zone beyond this boundary with respect to the junction zone. As shown in FIG. 7 , only a first reinforcing member 84 , 90 is advantageously positioned in the proximal zone 101 , while several reinforcing members 86 , 88 , 92 , 94 are disposed in the distal zone 103 . do. As described above, the distance between the first reinforcing member 84 , 90 and the second reinforcing member 86 , 92 separates the second reinforcing member 86 , 92 from the third reinforcing member 88 , 94 . bigger than

The first reinforcing member 84 of the first plurality of reinforcing members 8 may be particularly transversely aligned with the first free edge 62 of the angled joint portion 34 , and the second plurality of reinforcing members 10 . The first reinforcing member 90 of the can be particularly aligned perpendicularly with the third free edge 68 of the angled joint portion 34 .

As shown in FIG. 7 , the first reinforcing member of at least one of the plurality of reinforcing members 8 , 10 is removed from the corner of the internal load-bearing structure 6 , ie the reinforcing element 78 and the first reinforcing member 84 . , 90) is located at a distance d from the vertex 82. More specifically, in the embodiment shown, each first reinforcing member of the plurality of reinforcing members is arranged at this distance d from the corner of the internal load-bearing structure 6 .

According to a feature of the invention, the dimension of the angled joint portion is determined as a function of this positioning of the first reinforcing member and this distance d. More specifically, the dimension D60 of the intermediate portion 60 measured along the outer face 29 of the intermediate portion 60 between the first linked edge 66 and the second linked edge 72 is It can be calculated as:

In the illustrated embodiment, the dimensions D56 of the first portion 56 and the second portion 58, respectively, measured between the zone and the intermediate portion corresponding to the positions of the corresponding first reinforcing members 84, 90; D58) is equal to the previously determined dimension D60 of the middle part. More specifically, between the first reinforcing member 84 of the first plurality of reinforcing members 8 in this case, ie between the first linked edge 66 and the contact zone flush with the first free edge 62 . The dimension D56 of the first portion 56, measured perpendicularly along the outer surface at , is equal to the dimension D60 of the middle portion. In this case, the outer surface is drawn between the first reinforcing member 90 of the second plurality of reinforcing members 10 and the second linked edge 72 and the contact zone flush with the third free edge 68 . The dimension D58 of the second portion 58, measured transversely along the way, is the same as the dimensions D60 and D56 described above.

As a result, the force exerted by the pressure of the liquefied gas is more evenly distributed between the reinforcing elements of the bonding zone and each of the tank sidewalls and the reinforcing members supporting these sidewalls.

In a variant of the embodiment described above, and as shown in FIG. 8 , the contact surface 80 of the reinforcing element 78 has a different shape than the previously described flat surface, so that the fillet 91 rather than square corners is formed. to form More specifically, the contact surface 80 is formed such that the space delimited between the contact surface 80 and the reinforcing element 78 and the outer surface 29 of the intermediate portion 60 is no longer constant, and the intermediate portion ( 60) has an advantageously concave curvature to increase closer to the center. This space is filled, for example, by one or more seams 93 in the form of panels and/or cylinders made of plywood, and/or by a filling material 95 such as the mastic of the zone shaded in FIG. 8 , such The list is not exhaustive. The structure of the reinforcing element is easier to produce if the structure comprises a fillet, and the effect of the pressure exerted by the liquefied gas, the load-bearing wall of the load-bearing structure and the load-bearing wall of the load-bearing structure in the presence of additional reinforcing material that ensures the correct transmission of the force, as well as the correct transmission of the force It should be noted that the possibility of breakage at the junction of the

Alternative embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6 . Each angled bonding module 74 described above is arranged to provide a bond between the first tank wall 30 and the second tank wall 32 of the sealed insulated tank 26 . However, the tank 26 may have other tank walls, and the angled bonding module 74 according to the present invention may also be designed to be positioned to face the second tank wall bonding zone.

In this embodiment, the plurality of tank walls also includes a third tank wall or first transverse tank wall 96 extending in a plane perpendicular to the first sidewall 30 and perpendicular to the second sidewall 32 . . Also, this first transverse tank wall 96 is perpendicular to the main extension axis of the plurality of angled joint portions 34 , ie the longitudinal axis A.

In accordance with the present invention, each wall of the sealed tank 26 may be linked to another wall of the sealed tank 26 by means of an angled bonding module 74 . According to the embodiment described herein, the junction between the third tank wall 96 and the first tank wall 30 is an angled junction, such as the junction between the third tank wall 96 and the second tank wall 32 . module 74 .

In this regard, the sealed insulating tank 26 according to the present invention comprises an angled joint element 98 which differs from the angled joint portion 34 in that it comprises a return portion.

As shown in FIG. 5 , the angled bonding element 98 has a first portion 100 and a second portion 102 . Each of the two parts 100 , 102 specifically comprises a structure substantially identical to the structure described above, from the outer face 29 to the inner face 27 , a secondary insulating barrier 36 and a secondary sealing membrane 38 . and a secondary space 37 , and a primary space 41 including a primary insulating barrier 40 and a primary sealing membrane 42 .

The secondary insulating barrier 36 is formed from the outer face 29 to the inner face 27, an insulating wall 44 covered with a first insulating layer 46, followed by an angled joint as described above for the angled joint portion. a second insulating wall 51 present specifically in the element. This secondary insulating barrier 36 advantageously maintains the temperature inside the sealed insulating tank 26 in the first case when liquefied natural gas is stored therein. The secondary insulating barrier 36 is covered by a secondary sealing membrane 38 .

The secondary sealing membrane 38 holds the liquefied natural gas stored in the sealed insulated tank 26 in case the liquefied natural gas leaks from the primary space 41 .

The secondary sealing membrane 38 includes a flexible secondary sealing membrane 48 covering the plurality of rigid secondary sealing membranes 49 .

The triple strip forming the first flexible sealing membrane 48 is first, more specifically to the rigid secondary sealing membrane 49 covering the bonding zone of these rigid membranes, and secondly to the primary insulating barrier 40 . Designed to bond, preventing contamination at a variety of different joints. The primary insulating barrier 40 thus comprises, from the outer face 29 to the inner face 27 , a second insulating layer 52 and a third insulating wall 54 . The primary insulating barrier 40 is covered by a primary sealing membrane 42 .

As discussed above, the angled bonding element 98 includes a first portion 100 and a second portion 102 . The first portion 100 of the angled bonding element 98 is arranged to align and cooperate with the plurality of angled bonding modules or components 74 , 34 as well as the first tank sidewall 30 and the second tank sidewall 32 . . The second portion 102 of the angled joining element 98 is perpendicular to the first portion 100 , for example, to face the first transverse tank wall 96 .

The first portion 100 of the angled bonding element 98, like the angled bonding portion 34, includes a first section 104 , a second section 106 , and at least one intermediate section 108 .

The first section 104 of the angled joint element 98 mainly lies in a plane parallel to the plane of main extension of the first tank sidewall 30 and of the first portion 56 of the angled joint portion 34, said As such, the primary space 41 and the secondary space 37 do not have the same dimensions with respect to both the longitudinal axis A and the vertical axis C, in this case the main extension plane of the first tank sidewall 30 . It is understood that this extends longitudinally and vertically.

The first section 104 has a first free end edge 110 and a second free end edge 112 , which end edges are perpendicular to each other. The secondary space 37 of the first section 104 is not covered by the primary space 41 near the first free end edge 110 and near the second free end edge 112 .

The shape of the second section 106 is the same as that of the first section 104 having a third free end edge 116 and a fourth free end edge 118 . Again, the secondary space 37 is not covered by the primary space 41 near the third and fourth free end edges.

The first section 104 and the second section 106 of the angled bonding element 98 extend primarily in planes perpendicular to each other. The first section 104 is not adjacent to the second section 106 due to the presence of an intermediate section rigidly connected to the first section 104 and the second section 106 at each linked side 114 , 120 . does not

The intermediate section 108 mainly extends in an inclined plane intersecting firstly with the main extension plane of the first section 104 and secondly with the main extension plane of the second section 106 . The intersecting planes are parallel to the longitudinal axis A and are oriented to advantageously form an angle of approximately 135° with each of the aforementioned main planes of extension. Thus, the intermediate section 108 advantageously intersects the first section 104 at an angle of approximately 135° while also advantageously intersects the second section 106 at an angle of approximately 135°.

The secondary space 37 is not covered by the primary space 41 at the fifth free side 115 of the intermediate section 108 . In practice, the primary space 41 and the secondary space 37 do not extend over the same length along the longitudinal axis A. The primary space 41 is shorter than the secondary space 37 along the longitudinal axis A towards the fifth free side 115 of the intermediate section 108 . Accordingly, the secondary sealing membrane 38 is uncovered on the fifth free side 115 without overlapping or glued elements.

Again, the intermediate section 108 has a dimension that increases further away from the inner face 27 to better distribute the pressure exerted by the liquefied natural gas in the tank, particularly as described above. It should be noted that, in this variant embodiment, the intermediate section 108 is again opposite the clearance zone, which may be filled with reinforcing elements supported by the joining elements on the outer face of the intermediate section. In addition, the reinforcing element may have a contact surface extending in a plane or forming a fillet, as described above, wherein the intermediate section 108 is provided with a seam and / or a filling material.

The second portion 102 of the bonding element 98 mainly extends in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis A, ie in a plane perpendicular to each of the sections of the first portion 100 of the bonding element. In other words, the second portion 102 of the angled bonding element 98 forms a return portion extending vertically from the first portion 100 of the angled bonding element 98 .

More specifically, the second portion 102 includes a return wall 121 having a free transverse side 122 , a linked transverse side 124 , a free vertical side 126 , and a linked vertical side 128 . . The free transverse side 122 and the linked transverse side 124 extend along the longitudinal axis A and along the transverse axis B perpendicular to the vertical axis C, while the free vertical side 126 and the link The vertical side 128 extends along the vertical axis C. The second portion 102 is rigidly connected to the first portion 100 at a linked transverse side 124 and a connected vertical side 128 .

The secondary space 37 is not covered by the primary space 41 at the free transverse side 122 and the free vertical side 126 of the second portion 102 of the angled joining element 98 . In practice, the primary space 41 and the secondary space 37 do not extend over the same length along the transverse axis B and along the vertical axis C. As above, the primary space 41 is in this case shorter than the secondary space 37 along the transverse axis B towards the free vertical side 126 , and also towards the free transverse side 122 along the vertical axis C ) along the secondary space 37 .

The angled joining element 98 according to the invention forms a link between the first transverse tank wall 96 and the plurality of angled joining modules 74 , in particular the shape of the intermediate section 108 , and with this intermediate section By means of the clearance zone between the junction sections of the load-bearing walls 18 , 20 , the distribution of the pressure exerted by the liquefied natural gas in the junction zones of the walls forming the tank 26 is optimized. The pressure exerted by the liquefied natural gas stored in the sealed insulated tank 26 on the inner face 27 in the intermediate section 108 of the angled joining element 98 extends opposite the first transverse tank wall 96 . distributed throughout the angled joining element 98 up to the return wall 121 .

The primary space 41 of the first part 100 and the primary space of the second part 102 of the angled joining element 98 can be integrated with each other. In particular, the primary sealing membrane 42 of the first part 100 may be welded to the primary sealing membrane 42 of the second part 102 or manufactured as a single element.

6 , the first portion 100 of the angled bonding element 98 is designed to contact the angled bonding portion 34 of the angled bonding module 74 . The first portion 56 , the second portion 58 , and the intermediate portion 60 of the angled bonding module 74 closest to the angled bonding element 98 are the first portion 100 of the angled bonding element 98 . aligned with the first section 104 , the second section 106 , and the middle section 108 respectively of More specifically, the secondary space 37 of the angled bonding element 98 is in contact with the secondary space of this angled bonding module 74 . To rigidly connect the angled bonding element 98 to this angled bonding module 74 , the primary space panel 41 (not shown) is angled with the primary space 41 associated with the angled bonding module 74 . It is fastened by bonding and welding to the secondary space 37 between the bonding element 98 and the associated primary space 41 .

The first section 104 of the angled bonding element 98 and the first portion 56 of the angled bonding portion 34 are designed to contact the first tank sidewall 30 . The angled joint element 98 and the angled joint portion 34 are fastened to the first tank sidewall 30 in a manner similar to fastening the angled joint element 98 with the nearest angled joint module 74 . The panels of the primary space 41 are glued and welded at the link between the first tank sidewall 30 and the angled joint element 98 and at the plurality of angled joint portions 34 .

The second section 106 of the angled joint element 98 and the second portion 58 of the angled joint portion 74 are designed to contact the second tank sidewall 32 . The angled bonding element 98 and the angled bonding portion 34 are fastened to the second tank sidewall 32 in a manner similar to the fastening of the angled bonding element 98 with the nearest angled bonding module 74 . The panels of the primary space 41 are glued and welded at a link between the second tank sidewall 32 and the angled sidewall 32 and a plurality of angled joint portions 34 .

The first tank sidewall 30 , respectively the second tank sidewall 32 , and the first transverse tank wall 98 have a first conventional bonding element 130 and a respective second conventional bonding element 130 produced in a known manner. They are rigidly connected to each other via elements 132 .

The first conventional bonding element 130 and the second conventional bonding element 132 each have two portions. Each part of the joining element is perpendicular to one another, each extending in a main plane comprising one of the tank walls described above.

Accordingly, the angled bonding element 98 contacts at least one of the ends of the at least one conventional bonding element 130 . In the illustrated embodiment, the angled bonding element 98 first contacts the nearest angled bonding module 74 and secondly contacts the first conventional bonding element 130 and the second conventional bonding element 132 . do.

According to a variant embodiment not shown, the sealed tank according to the invention comprises a junction module ( 74) to link to each of these walls. In this context, the angled joining element 98 arranged at the junction of these three walls is noteworthy in that an intermediate portion similar to that described above is arranged between sections of the angled joining element each extending from the wall. Accordingly, the angled joining element is configured to have a similar shape to the first portion as described above at each joint of the two walls, and a reinforcing member 78 provided to fill the gap between the angled joining element and the internal load-bearing structure 6 . ) has a pyramidal shape in this case.

Claims (15)

A sealed and thermally insulating tank (26) designed to rest on a load-bearing structure (6) of a ship, said sealed and thermally insulating tank (26) comprising a first tank wall (30) and at least one second a plurality of tank walls comprising a tank wall (32), wherein the first tank wall (30) extends predominantly in a first plane and a second tank wall (32) extends predominantly in a second plane, wherein the first and second planes are perpendicular to each other, the first tank wall (30) and the second tank wall (32) being linked by an angular joining part (34); In the tank (26),
The angled joint portion 34 includes a first portion 56 extending mainly in a first plane, a second portion 58 extending mainly in a second plane, and mainly in a plane intersecting the first and second planes. at least one intermediate portion (60) extending, wherein the thickness of the first portion (56) of the angled joint portion (34) is equal to the thickness of the first tank wall (30); 30 , wherein the thickness of the second portion 58 of the angled joint portion 34 is equal to the thickness of the second tank wall 32 , and is arranged to extend this second tank wall 30 . characterized by being
Sealed insulated tank. The method of claim 1,
The sealed insulated tank (26) has at least one third tank wall (96) extending mainly in a first plane, a second plane and a third plane perpendicular to the intersecting plane, the first tank wall (30) and a bonding zone with a second tank wall (32), said bonding zone having an angled bonding element (98), said angled bonding element (98) having a first portion (100) and a second portion (102); , the first portion 100 has a first section 104 extending mainly in a first plane, a second section 106 extending mainly in a second plane, and an intermediate section 108 extending mainly in an intersecting plane. wherein the second part (102) has a return wall (121) perpendicular to the first part (100) and extending mainly in a third plane.
Sealed insulated tank. 3. The method of claim 1 or 2,
The angled bonding portion 34 and/or the angled bonding element 98 has an inner surface 27 and an outer surface 29, respectively, the inner surface 27 being the intermediate portion 60 or intermediate section 108, respectively. forming an internal chamfer at, the outer face 29 forming an external chamfer in the middle part 60 or in the middle section 108, the inner and outer chamfers being in a first plane and a second plane Characterized in that it is inclined at an angle between 120° and 150° with respect to
Sealed insulated tank. 4. The method of claim 3,
The dimension of the intermediate portion 60 of the angled joint portion 34 and/or the angled joint element 98 measured between the first portion 56 and the second portion 58 of the angled joint portion 34 . The dimension of the intermediate section 108 of the angled joining element 98 measured between the first section 104 and the first section 106 of characterized
Sealed insulated tank. 5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The angled joint portion 34 and/or the angled joint element 98 comprises a secondary insulating barrier 36 designed to contact the load-bearing structure 6 continuously in the thickness direction from the outside towards the inside of the tank, A secondary sealing membrane 38 supported by a secondary insulating barrier 36 , a primary insulating barrier 40 overlying the secondary sealing membrane 38 , and in contact with the fluid contained in the sealed insulating tank 26 . characterized in that it comprises a primary sealing membrane (42) supported by a primary insulating barrier (40), designed to
Sealed insulated tank. 6. The method of claim 5,
The secondary insulating barrier 36 and the secondary sealing membrane 38 of the angled junction portion 34 and/or the angled junction element 98 are, respectively, in a given direction, the primary insulating barrier 40 and 1 Characterized in that the car sealing membrane (42) has a larger dimension than its corresponding dimension in the same direction.
Sealed insulated tank. 7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
The dimension (D56, D58) of the first part (56) and/or the second part (58) of the angled joint part (34) is equal to the dimension (D60) of the middle part (60)
Sealed insulated tank. A vessel (200) comprising at least one sealed and insulated tank (26) according to any one of the preceding claims. 9. The method of claim 8,
It has an outer hull (4) and a load-bearing structure (6), said load-bearing structure (6) being designed to receive said sealed insulated tank (26), said load-bearing structure (6) extending along a first plane a first load-bearing wall (18) extending predominantly and a second load-bearing wall (20) extending mainly along a second plane, said first load-bearing wall (18) and second load-bearing wall (20) is substantially vertical,
characterized in that a clearance zone is provided between the load-bearing wall of the load-bearing structure of the junction zone (24) and the intermediate part (60) of the angled junction part (34), in which a reinforcing element (78) is seated in said clearance zone
Ship. 10. The method of claim 9,
The reinforcing element (78) has a triangular section, and the angle of the apex (82) of the reinforcing element (78) is equal to a right angle formed between the first load-bearing wall (18) and the second load-bearing wall (20); , characterized in that the reinforcing element has a contact surface (80) with an intermediate part (60) opposite the apex.
Ship. 11. The method of claim 10,
wherein the contact surface (80) has a faceted profile formed by a plurality of flat surfaces inclined with respect to one another to form a profile that curves toward the interior of the reinforcing element (78).
Ship. 11. The method of claim 10,
The contact surface 80 has a curved profile that provides a generally concave shape to the reinforcing element 78 .
Ship. 13. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 12,
The outer hull (4) has a plurality of reinforcing members (8, 10) in contact with the load-bearing structure (6), the concentration of the reinforcing members (8, 10) in the vicinity of and/or at an angled joint portion (34). characterized in that it is smaller in the vicinity of the bonding element (98).
Ship. 14. The method of claim 13,
The dimension D60 of the intermediate portion 60 of the angled joint portion 34 is a function of the position of the reinforcing members 84 , 90 closest to the corner of the load-bearing structure 6 on which the angled joint portion 34 is located. characterized in that it is determined as
Ship. Loading or unloading liquefied natural gas into the sealed insulated tank (26) according to any one of claims 1 to 7 or the liquefied natural gas vessel (200) according to any one of claims 8 to 14. Way.

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