RU2694068C1 - Installation method of fastener for sealed and heat-insulating tank - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: construction.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to an anchor device for a sealed and heat-insulating reservoir for storage of fluid medium, comprising a first bearing wall (5) and a second bearing wall (25) intersecting on edge (101). Connecting beam (17) consists of flat metal sheets welded to each other to form a hollow central core (32) having a section in form of a parallelogram with a first angle, which value is equal to value of angle between first and second bearing walls, two secondary mounting flanges (33) protruding outside central part (32) from first angle (34), two secondary connecting flanges (35) protruding outside of central part (32) in directions opposite to secondary anchor flanges (33), two primary connecting flanges (36) protruding outside the central part from second angle (37) of the central part, and two primary mounting flanges (38) protruding outside the central part in directions opposite to the primary connecting flanges (36).

EFFECT: technical result is prevention of deterioration of sealing and heat insulation characteristics of reservoir and simplification of design.

10 cl, 8 dwg

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to the field of sealed and heat-insulating tanks for the storage and / or transportation of fluid, for example, cryogenic fluid.

Sealed and heat-insulating tanks, as a rule, are used for the storage of liquefied natural gas (LNG), which is stored at atmospheric pressure and a temperature of about -162 ° C.

BACKGROUND

Reservoirs for LNG tankers are known, for example, from French patent No. FR-A-2549575. A tank for an LNG tanker has a plurality of longitudinal walls of the tank and a plurality of transverse walls of the tank. The walls of the tank have a double sealing membrane with a double insulating barrier inserted. This tank is built into the supporting structure, in this case formed by the hull of an LNG tanker.

When loading and unloading LNG, the temperature change and the process of filling the tanks have a strong effect on the sealing membranes of the tank. Similarly, during sea transportation, moving a vessel results in significant forces acting on the barriers of the tank. To prevent deterioration of the sealing and thermal insulation characteristics of the tank, the primary and secondary sealing membranes are attached to the supporting structure by means of a connecting ring at the corners between the transverse wall and the longitudinal wall of the tank.

The fastening of the connecting rings to the supporting structure on the one hand and their connection to the sealing membranes on the other hand allows you to transfer loads between the membranes and the hull of the vessel, thereby strengthening the entire structure of the tank.

The connecting ring, in particular, makes it possible to withstand the tensile stresses arising from the thermal compression of metal elements that form sealing barriers, the deformation of the hull at sea and the process of filling tanks.

Document FR-A-2629897 proposes the preparation of a connecting ring with square beams, which allows a reduction in the number of assembly operations on board the vessel.

When using such beams, installation operations must be carried out very carefully due to high alignment requirements: shifting between several consecutive beams may result in a non-uniform support surface designed to support the sealing membrane and may also lead to the risk of local weakening of this membrane.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

The idea on which the invention is based is to develop a method for installing the tank wall near the junction between the two walls forming the edge, which provides advantages both in terms of accuracy and in terms of ease of operation.

The invention discloses a method of installing a fastening device for a sealed and insulating fluid storage tank, as well as a sealed and insulating tank that can be obtained in accordance with this method of installation.

A sealed and insulating reservoir contains a plurality of reservoir walls, each reservoir wall containing in the thickness direction a carrier wall, a secondary heat insulating barrier attached to the carrier wall, a secondary sealing membrane parallel to the carrier wall, a primary heat insulating barrier and a primary sealing membrane parallel to the carrier wall and intended for contact with fluid in the reservoir.

Sealed and insulating tank mainly contains:

a supporting structure comprising a first supporting wall and a second supporting wall intersecting at the edge, each of said first and second supporting walls having a primary fixing plate and a secondary fixing plate protruding inside the tank and arranged parallel to the edge so that the distance between the secondary fixing plate and the edge corresponds to the thickness of the secondary insulation barrier, and the distance between the primary mounting plate and the secondary mounting plate corresponds to the thickness of the primary te loizolyatsionnogo barrier, and

connecting beam made of flat metal sheets welded to each other to form:

- a hollow central part having a parallelogram portion with a first angle whose value is equal to the angle between the first and second bearing walls, the first side whose length is equal to the distance between the primary mounting plate and the secondary mounting plate of the first bearing wall, and the second side, length which is equal to the distance between the primary mounting plate and the secondary mounting plate of the second bearing wall,

two secondary mounting flanges protruding outward of the central part from the first corner of the central part, aligned with the two sides of the central part, which intersect at said first angle,

two secondary connecting flanges protruding outward of the central part in directions opposite to the secondary mounting flanges relative to the central part, and also aligned with the two sides of the central part, which intersect at said first corner,

two primary connecting flanges protruding outward of the central part from the second corner of the central part, aligned with the two sides of the central part, which intersect at said second angle, the second angle being diagonally opposite to the first corner of the central part, and

two primary mounting flanges protruding outward of the central part in directions opposite to the primary connecting flanges relative to the central part, and also aligned with the two sides of the central part, which intersect at the said second corner.

The invention also discloses a connecting beam on which and / or in which one or more insulating elements are fixed; these insulating elements may be selected from the group consisting of central insulating elements, side insulating elements and corner insulating elements.

In accordance with embodiments, insulating elements are made in the form of parallelepiped chambers filled with insulating filler, which can be made of various materials, or in the form of a three-layer structure consisting of plywood, polyurethane foam and plywood.

In accordance with one embodiment, the process begins with the formation of a supporting structure and a connecting beam or using a supporting structure and connecting beam, which are already prepared, and also includes the following steps, in which:

attach the connecting beam to the supporting structure parallel to its edge using a variety of fastening means of adjustable length, placed between the two primary mounting flanges and the primary mounting plates of the first and second bearing walls, by adjusting the two secondary mounting flanges in the direction of the secondary mounting plates of the first and second bearing walls,

adjust the length of the fastening means of adjustable length to adjust the distance and parallelism of the primary or secondary connecting flange relative to the base surface,

two secondary fixing flanges are welded to the secondary fixing plates of the first and second bearing walls for the connecting beam to the supporting structure,

remove fasteners of adjustable length, and

Fix two primary mounting flanges on the primary anchor plates of the first and second bearing walls by welding the connecting plates to each other.

Due to these characteristics, the connecting beam can be precisely positioned relative to the base surface, for example, provided with a supporting structure, so that different parts of the connecting beam structure can be aligned with high accuracy, i.e., usually with an offset not exceeding ± 2 mm, between two consecutive sections.

In accordance with embodiments, such an installation method may include the step of securing one or more insulating elements to and / or in the connecting beam before fastening the connecting beam to the supporting structure; these insulating elements may be selected from the group consisting of central insulating elements, side insulating elements and corner insulating elements.

In accordance with one embodiment, the connecting beam is made of sheets made of Invar ® alloy or of any other metal with a low coefficient of expansion.

In accordance with one embodiment, the supporting structure of the first wall is the longitudinal wall of the vessel, and the supporting structure of the second wall is the transverse wall of the vessel.

In accordance with one embodiment, the invention also discloses a reservoir obtained in accordance with the aforementioned installation method.

Such a reservoir may be part of an onshore storage facility, for example, for storing LNG, or it may be installed on a floating, offshore or deep-water structure, in particular, on an ethane or LNG carrier, a regasification and gas storage floating facility (FSRU), a floating installation for production, storage and shipment of oil (FPSO) and other structures. In the case of a floating structure, the tank can be designed to accept liquefied natural gas as fuel for the movement of the floating structure.

In accordance with one embodiment, the fluid transport vessel comprises a hull, for example, a double hull, and the aforementioned reservoir mounted in the hull.

In accordance with one embodiment, the invention also discloses a method for loading or unloading such a vessel, in which a fluid is transferred through insulated pipes to a floating or onshore storage facility from a vessel’s tank or to a vessel’s tank from a floating or onshore storage facility.

In accordance with one embodiment, the invention also discloses a fluid transfer system, the system comprising the above vessel, insulated pipes for connecting a tank installed in the ship’s hull with a floating or shore storage facility, and a pump for pumping fluid through the insulated pipes into a floating or onshore storage from a vessel’s tank or to a vessel’s tank from a floating or onshore storage facility.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will become more clear, and other objectives, details, characteristics and advantages will become more apparent from the following description of several specific embodiments of the invention, given for the purpose of illustration and not limitation, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view in local section of an airtight and insulating tank at the junction between the two walls.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the junction between the two walls of the hermetic and heat insulating tank shown in FIG. 1, during placement of the connecting beam.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged detail view of an adjustable-length fastener used during placement of the connecting beam.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the junction between the two walls of the hermetic and insulating tank during placement of the connecting beam.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a connecting beam in accordance with a second embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a connecting beam in accordance with a third embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a schematic sectional view of an LNG tanker tank and a terminal for loading / unloading this tank.

FIG. 8 is a schematic perspective view of a vessel containing a plurality of tanks.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 8 illustrates a vessel 70, for example, an LNG tanker containing a plurality of tanks 71.

Such a vessel 70 includes a hull 90, forming a supporting structure (shown by dotted lines in FIG. 8) for a plurality of tanks 71 (shown in solid lines in FIG. 8).

The tank 71, built into the housing 90, has a multifaceted shape. In particular, the tank 71 has a lower longitudinal wall 1a, an upper longitudinal wall 1b, two longitudinal side walls 1c, as well as lower and upper bevelled longitudinal walls 1d.

The overall construction of such a tank 71 is well known. In this regard, only the zone of one wall of the tank will be described, taking into account that all the walls of the tank may have a similar overall construction.

Referring to FIG. 1 describes a multi-layer construction of a wall 1 of a tank in accordance with one embodiment. The wall 1 of the tank has in the direction of the thickness of the tank from the outside to the inside of the secondary insulating barrier 6, which lies on the supporting wall 5, the secondary sealing membrane 7, the primary thermal insulation barrier 8 and the primary sealing membrane 9 that is in contact with the fluid stored in the tank.

The primary heat-insulating barrier 8 and the secondary heat-insulating barrier 6 consist of insulating elements and, in particular, of parallelepiped insulating chambers 10, which are located next to each other in the usual way. There are various technologies for obtaining such insulating elements. For example, each insulating chamber 10 has a bottom panel 11 and a covering panel 12. Between the bottom panel 11 and the covering panel 12, there are side panels 13 and internal partitions 14 in the direction of the thickness of the tank wall. The side panels 13, the bottom panel 11 and the covering panel 12, as well as the internal partitions 14 limit the spaces in which the insulating filler is installed, for example, made of glass wool, foamed polymer, expanded perlite or other material. Each insulating chamber 10 is placed on the carrier wall 5 by means of fixing devices that can be manufactured in various ways in accordance with known technology, for example, as described in publication FR 2973098. The insulating chambers 10 of the primary heat insulation barrier 8 and the secondary heat insulation barrier 6 have a primary membrane 9 and secondary membrane 7, respectively.

Secondary membranes 7 and primary membranes 9 consist, for example, of a series of metal plates called parallel cladding sheets 15 with bent edges that are alternately arranged with elongated welded supports 16. The cladding sheets 15 and welded supports 16 are made of an alloy with a low coefficient of expansion. The cladding sheets 15 and the welded supports 16 are made, for example, from Invar ® alloy, i.e. an alloy of iron and nickel, the coefficient of expansion of which is usually 1.2 × 10 ^-6 to 2 × 10 ^-6 K ^-1 , or an alloy of iron with a high content of manganese, the coefficient of expansion of which is usually about 7 × 10 ^-6 K ^-1 . The secondary and primary membranes 7, 9 typically have a thickness of from 0.5 to 1.5 mm and preferably 0.7 mm.

The cladding sheets 15 comprise, in width, a flat central strip adjacent to the covering panels 12 of the insulating chambers 10 and bent side edges. Bent edges are perpendicular to the flat central strip. The folded edges of the cladding sheets 15 are hermetically welded to the welding supports 16. Welded supports 16 are always placed on the underlying heat insulation barrier 6, 8, for example, being in slots in the shape of an inverted T or J, made in the covering panels 12 of the insulating chambers 10. More detailed information about The manufacture of such a membrane is given in publication FR 2968284.

The next paragraph describes in more detail the angular area of the tank. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the interface 100 between the first wall 1 of the tank (extending in the yz plane) and the second wall 2 of the tank (passing in the xz plane).

At the junction 100, the carrier wall 5 of the first wall 1 and the carrier wall 25 of the second wall 2 intersect at the edge 101 (extending in the z direction), and the secondary membranes 7, 27, as well as the primary membranes 9, 29 of the two walls 1, 2 of the tank, are connected with mounting device for mounting the secondary sealing membranes 7, 27 and the primary sealing membranes 9, 29, firstly, to the supporting wall 5 of the first wall 1 and, secondly, to the supporting wall 25 of the second wall 2.

In particular, the secondary membranes 7 and primary membranes 9 of the first wall 1 are perpendicularly mounted on the carrier wall 25 of the second wall 2. Similarly, the secondary membranes 27 and primary membranes 29 of the second wall 2 are perpendicularly fixed on the carrier wall 5 of the first wall 1.

The fastening device can withstand the tensile stresses arising from the thermal compression of the secondary membranes 7, 27 and primary membranes 9, 29. The fastening device also allows you to withstand the stresses arising from the deformation of the hull and especially the bend of the vessel's longitudinal wall.

The fastening device comprises an elongated connecting beam 17 having a hollow central portion with a parallelogram portion, which in this case is rectangular, since the two bearing walls 5, 25 form a right angle. Like the sealing membranes, the connecting beam 17, as a rule, is made of an alloy with a low coefficient of expansion, for example, of sheets whose thickness ranges from 0.5 to 1.5 mm.

To hold the connecting beam 17 on each side of the edge 101, each of the supporting walls 5, 25 contains a primary mounting plate 30 and a secondary mounting plate 31. The distance from the secondary mounting plate 31 to the edge 101 corresponds to the thickness of the secondary insulating barrier. The distance between the mounting plates 30 and 31 corresponds to the thickness of the primary insulating barrier. The primary 30 and secondary 31 mounting plates have a thickness of, for example, from 6 to 12 mm and preferably 8 mm.

Referring to FIG. 2-4 in the following paragraphs, a more detailed description of the method of installation of the above-mentioned fastening device will be given.

As seen in FIG. 2 and 4, the connecting beam 17 is made of flat metal sheets welded to each other to form the following elements:

a hollow central portion 32 having a rectangular or square portion, the length of the sides of which is equal to the distance between the primary mounting plate 30 and the secondary mounting plate 31 of the supporting wall, which is parallel to each side,

two secondary mounting flanges 33, protruding outward of the central part 32 from the corner 34 of the central part, aligned with the two sides 48 of the central part, which intersect at an angle 34,

two secondary connecting flanges 35, protruding outward of the central part 32 in directions opposite to secondary mounting flanges 33,

two primary connecting flanges 36, protruding outward of the central part 32 from the angle 37, diagonally opposite to the angle 34 of the central part 32, aligned with two sides of the central part, which intersect at the angle 37.

two primary mounting flanges 38, protruding outward of the central part 32 in directions opposite to the primary connecting flanges 36.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 and 3, the connecting beam 17 is exposed when it is attached to the supporting structure. Alternatively, the connecting beam can be pre-assembled with one or more insulating elements before being fastened to the supporting structure.

FIG. 5 illustrates the connecting beam 117, which differs from the connecting beam 17 in that before attaching the connecting beam 117 to the supporting structure:

central insulating elements 40 are fixed in the central part 32, and / or

outside the central part 32 along the two sides 48 of the central part, which intersect at an angle 34, place the lateral insulating elements 41.

The side insulating elements 41 fill two spaces located along each of said two sides of the central part between the secondary fixing flange 33 and the primary fixing flange 38, respectively, and are fixed to the primary fixing flanges 38 and the secondary fixing flanges 33.

FIG. 6 illustrates the connecting beam 217, which differs from the connecting beam 17 in that before attaching the connecting beam 117 to the supporting structure:

central insulating elements 40 are fixed in the central part 32, and / or

outside the central part 32, along the angle 34 between the two secondary mounting flanges 33, corner insulation elements 42 are placed and fixed on the two secondary mounting flanges 33.

Insulating elements 40, 41, 42 can be made in different ways. In the ideal case, they are made in the form of parallelepiped chambers, usually made of plywood sheets connected to each other in accordance with the known technology, filled with insulating filler, which can be made of various materials, such as glass wool, expanded perlite, expanded polystyrene or foamed polymer. Alternatively, a three-layer structure made of plywood, polyurethane foam and plywood can be used as an insulating element.

Alternatively, the connecting beam can combine the pre-assembled insulating elements shown in figures 5 and 6.

Referring to FIG. 2, the first step before attaching the connecting beam 17, 117, 217 to the supporting structure includes placing insulating elements 45 of the first row in a parallelepiped space located between the end sections 46 of the first and second bearing walls 5, 25 located between the secondary fixing plates 31 and edge 101.

If a connecting beam 217 is used, which is pre-assembled with corner insulation elements 42, the insulating elements 45 of the first row form a recess 44, shown in dotted lines in FIG. 2, to receive the corner insulation elements 42 while mounting the connecting beam 217 to the supporting structure parallel to the edge 101. If not, the insulation elements 45 of the first row preferably fill almost all of the above parallelepiped space to minimize empty spaces that can increase convection in the tank wall.

Insulating elements 45 of the first row can be manufactured in various ways.

In one embodiment, they are made in the form of rigid blocks, for example, parallelepiped chambers, usually made of plywood sheets, assembled with each other in accordance with known technology, filled with insulating filler, which can be made of various materials, for example, glass wool , expanded perlite, polystyrene foam or foamed polymer. Alternatively, a three-layer structure made of plywood, high density polyurethane foam and plywood can be used as a hard block.

In another embodiment, the insulating elements 45 of the first row are made of an insulating material that is much more flexible, for example, of glass wool or low density foamed polymer, and do not play a constructive role.

In the second stage, the connecting beam 17, 117, 217 is fixed to the supporting structure parallel to the edge 101 by means of a variety of fastening means 50 of adjustable length, located between the two primary mounting flanges 38 and the primary mounting plates 30 of the first and second bearing walls 5, 25, by adjusting two secondary mounting flanges 33 in the direction of the secondary mounting plates 31.

As seen in FIG. 4, adjustable length fasteners 50 can be distributed at regular intervals along the two primary mounting flanges 38 to ensure optimal load distribution and, therefore, minimize the bending of the connecting beam 17, 117, 217 at this stage. In the example shown, the three fasteners 50 of adjustable length are distributed along each primary fastening flange 38 for a beam section, the length of which is, for example, 3 meters.

It should be noted that the presence of pre-assembled insulating elements 40, 41 and / or 42 provides greater rigidity of the connecting beam to minimize bending during this stage. In addition, if rigid insulating elements 45 of the first row are used, the two secondary mounting flanges 33 of the connecting beams 17, 117, 217 may abut against the upper edge area 49 of the insulating elements 45 of the first row during this stage, or, if necessary, the insulating elements 42 may adjacent to the surface bounding the recess 44, which also allows you to limit the bending of the connecting beam 17, 117, 217.

If the insulating elements 45 of the first row do not act as a support in the second stage, for example, if they are made of flexible material, their preliminary presence is optional, and the stage indicated above as the first stage can also be performed later.

In the third stage, adjustable lengths of the fastening means 50 are adjusted to adjust the distance and parallelism of the primary connecting flange 36 or the secondary connecting flange 35 relative to the base surface.

The base surface can be obtained in various ways, for example, with respect to a previously established section of the beam or with respect to the supporting structure.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the base surface 51 is bounded by the upper surface of a plurality of gaskets 52 located on at least one of the carrier walls, in this case, on the first carrier wall 5, and the gaskets 52 are of such dimensions that the base surface 51 has a higher degree of flatness than the corresponding supporting wall 5. These gaskets 52 are used to fill the gaps of the supporting wall relative to the theoretical surface, which is perfectly flat, and their dimensions can be calculated by optical methods.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, to adjust the distance and parallelism of the secondary connecting flange 35 relative to the base surface 51, an adjustment tool 53 is provided, in this case an L-shaped adjustment tool comprising a first surface 54 and a second surface 55 parallel to the first surface 54 and remote by a predetermined distance A from the first surface 54. The first surface 54 coincides with the base surface 51 by arranging the first surface 54 pressed against the gaskets 52, thus the length of the fastening means 50 adjustable for adjusted to us until the secondary connecting flange 35 is not pressed against the second surface 55 of the adjusting tool 53.

At the fourth stage, two secondary mounting flanges 33 are welded to the secondary mounting plates 31 of the first and second bearing walls 5, 25 for fastening the connecting beam 17, 117, 217 to the supporting structure. Depending on the width of the secondary mounting flanges 33, the welded joint can be formed directly between the secondary mounting flange 33 and the secondary mounting plate 31 or through the connecting plate 56 located between the secondary mounting flange 33 and the secondary mounting plate 31.

After the formation of welded joints fasteners 50 adjustable length can be removed.

At the fifth stage, insulating elements 57 of the second row (Fig. 1) are placed in two parallelepiped spaces 58 (Fig. 2) located between the primary fixing plate 30 and the secondary fixing plate 31 of each of the first and second bearing walls 5, 25, filling the above-mentioned parallelepiped space 58 in the thickness direction of the first and second walls 1, 2 of the tank to the central part 32 or to the side insulating elements 41, if they are previously attached to the central part 32. This filling of the parallelepiped spaces 58 allows stabilize a connecting beam 17, 117, 217 due to being pressed against the insulating element 57 of the second row.

In the fifth stage, two primary mounting flanges 38 are fixed to the primary anchor plates 30 of the first and second bearing walls 5, 25 by welding the connecting plates 59 (Fig. 1) to each other. In other words, the connecting plates 59 replace the fastening means 50 of adjustable length, which are used only as a temporary fastener for the connecting beam 17, 117, 217.

If the central insulating elements 40 are not previously attached to the connecting beam 17, 117, 217, they can be installed and fixed on the central part 32 at this stage.

Thus, we see that the corner zone of the reservoir is formed by ensuring continuity of the secondary and primary insulation.

Some steps of the installation process described above may be performed in a manner other than that specified in the present description. Preferably, the fastening means of adjustable length is removed only after welding the two secondary mounting flanges to the secondary mounting plates. Preferably, the primary fastening flanges are welded to the primary fastening plates only after removing the fastening means of adjustable length.

To ensure the continuity of the tightness of the primary membrane at the corner of the tank, the primary connecting flanges 36 and the angle 37 of the connecting beam must be sealed along the entire length even at the junction between two successive sections of the connecting beam.

Similarly, to ensure continuity of the secondary membrane tightness at the tank corner, secondary connecting flanges 35, sides 48 of central part 32 and angle 34 of the connecting beam must be sealed along the entire length even at the junction between two successive sections of the connecting beam.

On the other hand, the other two sides of the central part 32 do not require sealing, and, as illustrated in figures 4-6, they may have a notch 19 at the ends of the section of the connecting beam. Cut 19 allows the introduction of a connecting kit for connecting two consecutive sections of the connecting beams 17, 117, 217, located end-to-end.

In the shown embodiment, the angle between the supporting walls 1 and 2 is 90 °. Other angle values are also possible, for example, 135 °.

FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of a fastener of adjustable length. In this embodiment, the fastening means 60 comprises a screw tensioning device consisting of a drive handle 64 and two coaxially arranged threaded rods 61, 62, one end of which is rotated towards the center of the fastening means 60, screwed into two nuts 63 fixed to the drive handle 64. Driving the handle 64 is rotatably mounted on the two threaded rods 61, 62, so that the threaded rods 61, 62 can approach each other, and therefore, the length of the fastening means 60 can be reduced when rotating in the same direction ii, and so that the threaded rods 61, 62 can be removed from each other, and hence the length of the fastening means 60 may be increased by rotation in the opposite direction. At the other end, two threaded rods 61, 62 are welded or attached to the base of two U-shaped fasteners 65, which are open in the direction opposite to the screw tensioner.

The U-shaped mounts 65 can be respectively hooked on the primary mounting plate 30 and the primary mounting flange 38 and attached thereto, for example, with a screw or pin 66. For this, the necessary openings are provided along the primary mounting plates 30 and the primary mounting flanges 38.

Other technologies for attaching fasteners of adjustable length can be considered, for example, using a telescopic rod equipped with a locking device using clamping or snap-in engagement.

Referring to FIG. 7 shows a sectional view of an LNG carrier 70 illustrating a sealed and insulated tank 71, having the general shape of a prism, mounted in a double vessel 72. The wall of the tank 71 contains a primary sealed barrier for contact with LNG in the tank, a secondary sealed barrier located between the primary sealed barrier and the vessel’s double hull 72, and two insulating barriers respectively located between the primary sealed barrier and the secondary sealed barrier and between the secondary sealed barrier and double hull 72.

As is known, the loading and unloading lines 73 on the upper deck of the ship can be connected with suitable connectors to a marine or port terminal for transferring LNG to or from tank 71.

FIG. 7 shows an example of a sea terminal containing a loading and unloading station 75, an underwater pipeline 76 and a coastal structure 77. The loading and unloading station 75 is a coastal stationary structure containing a movable arm 74 and a column 78 that supports a movable branch 74. The movable branch 74 contains a bundle of insulated flexible tubes 79 that can be connected to the loading and unloading tubes 73. The adjustable movable leg 74 can be adapted to LNG tankers of all sizes. A connecting pipe (not shown) passes inside column 78. Loading and unloading station 75 allows the loading and unloading of the vessel 70 for the transport of LNG from the onshore structure 77 and to it. This facility contains liquefied gas storage tanks 80 and connecting pipes 1081 connected by a subsea pipeline 76 to a loading and unloading station 75. Subsea pipe 76 transfers liquefied gas between the loading and unloading station 75 and the onshore structure 77 over long distances, for example, 5 km, which allows you to stop the vessel 70 for transporting LNG at a great distance from the coast during loading and unloading operations.

To create the pressure required for the transfer of liquefied gas, pumps are used on board the vessel 70 and / or pumps installed at the onshore structure 77, and / or pumps installed at the loading and unloading station 75.

Although the invention has been described with reference to several specific embodiments, it is obvious that it is in no way limited to them, and that it includes all technical equivalents of the means described, as well as their combinations, if they are within the scope of the invention.

The use of the verb "contain", "consist of" or "include" and their derivative forms does not exclude the presence of other elements or steps other than those indicated in the claim. The use of the singular for an element or step does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements or steps, unless otherwise indicated.

Claims (32)

1. A method of installing a fastening device for an airtight and insulating tank (71) for storing a fluid medium containing a plurality of walls (1, 2) of the tank, each wall (1, 2) of the tank containing, in the thickness direction, a supporting wall (5, 25), secondary insulating barrier (6, 26) attached to the supporting wall (5, 25), secondary sealing membrane (7, 27) parallel to the supporting wall (5, 25), primary thermal insulation barrier (8, 28) and primary sealing membrane ( 9, 29), parallel to the bearing wall (5, 25), designed for contact with fluid in the reservoir; moreover, the method includes the steps in which form the supporting structure (90), containing the first bearing wall (5) and the second bearing wall (25), intersecting at the edge (101), each of these first and second bearing walls having a primary mounting plate (30) and a secondary mounting plate ( 31) protruding into the tank and parallel to the edge so that the distance between the secondary mounting plate (31) and the edge (101) corresponds to the thickness of the secondary insulation barrier, and the distance between the primary mounting plate (30) and the secondary mounting plate (31) sponds to the thickness of the primary thermal insulation barrier, form a connecting beam (17, 117, 217), consisting of flat metal sheets, welded to each other to form a hollow central part (32), which has a parallelogram section with a first angle, the magnitude of which is equal to the angle between the first and second bearing walls, the first side whose length is equal to the distance between the primary mounting plate and the secondary mounting plate of the first bearing wall, and the second a side whose length is equal to the distance between the primary mounting plate and the secondary mounting plate of the second bearing wall, two secondary mounting flanges (33) protruding outward of the central part (32) of the first corner (34) of the central part, aligned with two sides (48) of the central part, which intersect at the indicated first angle, two secondary connecting flanges (35) projecting outward of the central part (32) in directions opposite to the secondary mounting flanges (33) relative to the central part, and also aligned with two sides (48) of the central part, which intersect at the indicated first angle, two primary connecting flanges (36) protruding outward of the central part from the second corner (37) of the central part aligned with two sides of the central part, which intersect at said second corner (37), with the second angle diagonally opposite to the first corner (34) of the central part and two primary mounting flanges (38), protruding outward of the central part in directions opposite to the primary connecting flanges (36) relative to the central part, and also aligned with the two sides of the central part, which intersect at the indicated second angle (37), then attach the connecting beam (17, 117, 217) to the supporting structure parallel to the edge (101) by means of a variety of fastening means (50, 60) of adjustable length, placed between the two primary mounting flanges (38) and the primary mounting plates (30) the walls, by adjusting the two secondary mounting flanges (33) in the direction of the secondary mounting plates (31) of the first and second bearing walls, adjust the length of the fastening means (50, 60) of adjustable length to adjust the distance and parallelism of the primary connecting flange (36) or the secondary connecting flange (35) relative to the base surface (51), two secondary fixing flanges (33) are welded to the secondary fixing plates (31) of the first and second bearing walls for fastening the connecting beam to the supporting structure, remove fasteners (50, 60) of adjustable length, and Fix the two primary mounting flanges (38) on the primary mounting plates (30) of the first and second bearing walls by welding the connecting plates (59) to each other. 2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of securing the central insulating element (40) in the central part (32) before fastening the connecting beam (117, 217) to the supporting structure. 3. The method according to any one of paragraphs. 1, 2, further comprising the steps in which, before fastening the connecting beam (117) to the supporting structure, the lateral insulating elements (41) are placed outside the central part along the two sides (48) of the central part, which intersect at the indicated first angle (34), and the said lateral insulating elements (41) thus fill two spaces along each of the specified two sides of the central part respectively between the secondary mounting flange (33) and the primary mounting flange (38), and fix the specified side insulating elements on the primary mounting flanges and secondary mounting flanges. 4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising the step of, before fastening the two primary mounting flanges (38) to the primary mounting plates (30) of the first and second bearing walls, place the insulating elements (57) of the second row in two parallelepiped spaces (58) between the primary mounting plate (30) and the secondary mounting plate (31) of each of the first and second bearing walls, filling said parallelepiped spaces in the thickness direction of the first and second walls of the tank to lateral insulating elements (41), in order to stabilize the connecting beam by pressing the second row against said insulating elements (57). 5. The method according to any one of paragraphs. 1, 2, further comprising the step of, before fastening the two primary mounting flanges to the primary mounting plates of the first and second bearing walls, place the insulating elements (57) of the second row in two parallelepiped spaces between the primary mounting plate (30) and the secondary mounting plate (31) of each of the first and second bearing walls, filling said parallelepiped spaces in the thickness direction of the first and second walls of the tank to the central part ( 32), to stabilize the connecting beam by pressing the second row of the said insulating elements (57). 6. The method according to any one of paragraphs. 1-5, further comprising the steps in which, prior to fastening the connecting beam (217) to the supporting structure, positioning the corner insulation elements (42) outside the central part (32) along the first corner (34) of the central part between the two secondary mounting flanges (33) and fixing the said corner insulation elements on the two secondary mounting flanges. 7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising a step in which, before attaching the connecting beam (217) to the supporting structure, insulating elements (45) of the first row are placed in a parallelepiped space between the end sections of the first and second load-bearing walls, said ends being located between the secondary mounting plates (31) of the first and second load-bearing walls and the edge, and the said insulating elements (45) of the first row form a recess (44) for receiving said corner insulation elements (42) while attaching the connecting beam (217) to the supporting structure parallel to the edge. 8. The method according to any one of paragraphs. 1-5, additionally including the stage at which, before fastening the connecting beam (17, 117) to the supporting structure, insulating elements (45) of the first row are placed in a parallelepiped space between the end portions of the first and second load-bearing walls, and said end portions are located between the secondary fixing plates (31) of the first and second load-bearing walls and the edge. 9. The method according to any one of paragraphs. 1-8, in which the base surface (51) is limited to the upper surface of a plurality of gaskets (52) placed on the first or second carrier wall, and the gaskets have such dimensions that the base surface has a higher degree of flatness than said first or second carrier wall . 10. A method according to claim 9, in which the step of adjusting the distance and parallelism of the primary or secondary connecting flange relative to the base surface includes the steps in which: set the adjusting tool (53), having a first surface (54) and a second surface (55), parallel to the first surface and remote to a specified distance from the first surface, keep said first surface (54) of the adjusting tool pressed against said gaskets, adjust the lengths of the fasteners of adjustable length until the primary or secondary connecting flange (36, 35) is pressed against the second surface (55) of the adjusting tool.

Images