Thermally insulating sealed tank comprising a reinforcing insulating plug

A sealed and thermally insulating tank for storing a fluid, the tank comprising:

• a wall comprising, in a thickness direction from an exterior toward an interior of the tank,
• a supporting structure,
• a primary thermal insulation barrier, and
• a primary sealing membrane which lies against the primary thermal insulation barrier and is configured to be in contact with the fluid stored in the tank,
• the primary thermal insulation barrier comprising:
• a first primary insulating panel including an external rigid plate and a polymer foam layer which is fixed on the external rigid plate and is disposed between the external rigid plate and the primary sealing membrane, the first primary insulating panel comprising an internal rigid plate fixed to the polymer foam layer and disposed between the insulating polymer foam layer and the primary sealing membrane, the polymer foam layer having a recess which extends through a whole thickness of the polymer foam layer at a corner or at an edge of the first primary insulating panel, the recess forming, at the external rigid plate, a bearing zone, the bearing zone of the external rigid plate collaborating with an anchoring device bearing against the bearing zone of the external rigid plate to hold the external rigid plate toward the supporting structure, the internal rigid plate of the first primary insulating panel having a recess extending the recess of the polymer foam layer at the corner or the edge of the first primary insulating panel, and
• a second primary insulating panel, a corner or an edge of the second primary insulating panel being adjacent to the corner or the edge of the first primary insulating panel, the second primary insulating panel including
• an external rigid plate,
• a polymer foam layer which is fixed on the external rigid plate of the second primary insulating panel and is disposed between the external rigid plate of the second primary insulating panel and the primary sealing membrane, and
• an internal rigid plate fixed to the polymer foam layer and disposed between the insulating polymer foam layer and the primary sealing membrane, the polymer foam layer of the second primary insulating panel having a recess which extends through the whole thickness of the polymer foam layer and is formed at the corner or the edge of said second primary insulating panel, the recess forming, at the external rigid plate of the second primary insulating panel, a bearing zone, the bearing zone of the external rigid plate collaborating with the anchoring device,
• wherein the anchoring device bears against the bearing zone of the external rigid plate to hold the external rigid plate of the second primary insulating panel toward the supporting structure, the internal rigid plate of the second primary insulating panel having a recess extending the recess of the polymer foam layer at the corner or the edge of the second primary insulating panel, the respective recesses of the first and second primary insulating panels being disposed to open one into the other,
• wherein the anchoring device holds the external rigid plates of the first and second primary insulating panels toward the supporting structure without exerting pressure on the polymer foam layers of the first and second primary insulating panels, the anchoring device comprising
• a stud fixed directly or indirectly to the supporting structure at the corner or at the edge of the first and second primary insulating panels, and
• a retention member fixed on the stud, the retention member of the anchoring device having a plurality of tabs bearing against each of the bearing zones,
• the primary sealing membrane comprising a specific zone which is disposed plumb with the bearing zones and which comprises a portion projecting toward the interior of the tank,
• the primary thermal insulation barrier comprising a first reinforcing insulating plug and respectively a second reinforcing insulating plug which is housed in the recesses of the first primary insulating panel and respectively the second primary insulating panel, said first reinforcing insulating plug and respectively the second reinforcing insulating plug extending, in the thickness direction, from the bearing zone of the external rigid plate to the specific zone of the primary sealing membrane, the first reinforcing insulating plug and respectively the second reinforcing insulating plug bearing against the external rigid plate and against the specific zone of the primary sealing membrane to take up compressive forces that act on the specific zone of the primary sealing membrane, the first reinforcing insulating plug and respectively the second reinforcing insulating plug partially directly bearing against the external rigid plate of the first primary insulating panel and respectively the second primary insulating panel, a first one of the tabs of the retention member being disposed between the bearing zone of the external rigid plate of the first primary insulating panel and the first reinforcing insulating plug, a second one of the tabs of the retention member being disposed between the bearing zone of the external rigid plate of the second primary insulating panel and the second reinforcing insulating plug, the first reinforcing insulating plug and respectively the second reinforcing insulating plug being flush with the internal rigid plate of the first primary insulating panel and respectively the second primary insulating panel, the first reinforcing insulating plug and respectively the second reinforcing insulating plug comprising a polymer foam layer having a compressive yield strength equal to or greater than 80% of a compressive yield strength of the polymer foam layer of the first primary insulating panel and respectively the second primary insulating panel,
• wherein the first reinforcing insulating plug is not attached to the first primary insulating panel, and
• wherein the second reinforcing insulating plug is not attached to the second primary insulating panel.