# US 2017/0219166 A1 · Pump tower of liquefied gas storage tank > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2017/0219166 A1 - Document ID: US20170219166A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/502,174 - Filed: 2015-08-06 - Published: 2017-08-03 - Earliest claimed: 2014-08-06 - Assignees: KC LNG Tech Co., Ltd. - Applicants: KC LNG Tech Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Kyo Kook JIN; Ihn Soo YOON; Byung Taek OH; Young Chul YANG; Young Soon SOHN - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170219166A1 ## CPC - F17C 3/022: {Land-based bulk storage containers (civil engineering aspects E04H7/00)} - B63B 25/16: heat-insulated (insulating panelling B63B3/68; heating or cooling B63J) - B63B 27/24: of pipe-lines - E04H 7/02: Containers for fluids or gases; Supports therefor - F04B 15/00: Pumps adapted to handle specific fluids, e.g. by selection of specific materials for pumps or pump parts - F04B 15/08: the liquids having low boiling points - F04B 23/04: Combinations of two or more pumps - F17C 3/00: Vessels not under pressure - F17C 13/00: Details of vessels or of the filling or discharging of vessels - F17C 13/004: {for large storage vessels not under pressure (F17C13/008 and F17C13/02 - F17C13/12 take precedence)} - F04B 2015/081: {Liquefied gases} - F17C 2201/0157: Polygonal - F17C 2201/052: large (>1000 m3) - F17C 2203/013: in the vessel, e.g. columns - F17C 2203/0333: Polyurethane - F17C 2203/0629: Two walls - F17C 2205/0379: Manholes or access openings for human beings - F17C 2221/033: Methane, e.g. natural gas, CNG, LNG, GNL, GNC, PLNG - F17C 2223/0161: cryogenic, e.g. LNG, GNL, PLNG - F17C 2223/033: Small pressure, e.g. for liquefied gas - F17C 2227/0135: Pumps - F17C 2227/0178: in the vessel - F17C 2270/0105: Ships - F17C 2270/011: Barges - F17C 2270/0115: immerged - F17C: VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES (storing fluids in natural or artificial cavities or chambers in the earth B65G5/00; construction or assembling of bulk storage containers employing civil-engineering techniques E04H7/00; variable-capacity gas-holders F17B; liquefaction or refrigeration machines, plants, or systems F25) - B63B: SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING (arrangements of vessel ventilation, heating, cooling, or air-conditioning B63J2/00; floating substructures as supports of dredgers or soil-shifting machines E02F9/06) - E04H: BUILDINGS OR LIKE STRUCTURES FOR PARTICULAR PURPOSES; SWIMMING OR SPLASH BATHS OR POOLS; MASTS; FENCING; TENTS OR CANOPIES, IN GENERAL (foundations E02D) - F04B: POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS (machines for liquids, or pumps, of rotary-piston or oscillating-piston type F04C; non-positive-displacement pumps F04D; pumping of fluid by direct contact of another fluid or by using inertia of fluid to be pumped F04F) ## Abstract Disclosed is a pump tower disposed inside a liquefied gas storage tank so as to supply or discharge liquefied gas to/from the inside of the liquefied gas storage tank. The pump tower, according to one embodiment of the present invention, comprises: a discharge pipe used for discharging the liquefied gas in the liquefied gas storage tank; an emergency pipe equipped with an emergency pump at the lower end thereof; a charge pipe for supplying the liquefied gas into the liquefied gas storage tank; and a support, which is provided on the bottom of the liquefied gas storage tank, for enabling the vertical displacement of the pump tower and restricting the horizontal movement and rotation thereof. The support comprises: a lower body fixed to a hull side; an upper body fixed to a pump tower side; and a wedge member interposed between the lower body and the upper body. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A pump tower disposed inside a liquefied gas storage tank to supply and discharge liquefied gas to and from the liquefied gas storage tank, the pump tower comprising: a discharge pipe provided at a lower end thereof with a discharge pump and discharging liquefied gas from the liquefied gas storage tank; an emergency pipe provided at a lower end thereof with an emergency pump; a filling pipe supplying liquefied gas into the liquefied gas storage tank; a stiffener connecting the discharge pipe, the emergency pipe, and the filling pipe to one another; and a support disposed on a bottom of the liquefied gas storage tank to restrict horizontal movement and rotation of the pump tower while permitting vertical displacement of the pump tower, wherein the support comprises a lower body secured to a hull, an upper body secured to the pump tower, and a wedge member interposed between the lower body and the upper body. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The pump tower according to claim 1, wherein the lower body comprises a first lower body mounted on a bottom surface of the hull and a second lower body extending upwards from the first lower body, and the first lower body is embedded in a heat insulating and sealing barrier of the liquefied gas storage tank. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The pump tower according to claim 2, wherein the first lower body and the second lower body are hollow and at least one of the first lower body and the second lower body is filled with an insulator. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The pump tower according to claim 2, wherein the first lower body is stably secured to the bottom surface by a plurality of radially extending ribs. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The pump tower according to claim 2, wherein the first lower body has a hollow frustoconical shape and is filled with an insulator. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The pump tower according to claim 1, wherein the upper body comprises an inclined surface to have a shape with a wide top and a narrow bottom. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The pump tower according to claim 2, wherein the second lower body is inserted into the upper body and the wedge member is interposed between the second lower body and the upper body. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The pump tower according to claim 1, wherein the wedge member is narrower at one side and wider at the other side and is interposed between the lower body and the upper body such that the narrower side faces downwards. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The pump tower according to claim 1, further comprising: a lid member coupled to the upper body to prevent detachment of the wedge member and to push the wedge member in a direction in which the wedge member is inserted between the upper body and the lower body. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The pump tower according to claim 9, wherein the lid member is coupled to the upper body by a bolt and a nut, and a spring washer is interposed between a head of the bolt and the lid member. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The pump tower according to claim 1, wherein the discharge pipe, the emergency pipe, and the filling pipe are arranged in a quadrangular prism shape. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The pump tower according to claim 11, wherein the discharge pipe, the emergency pipe, and the filling pipe are connected to one another through the stiffener. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The pump tower according to claim 12, wherein the stiffener extends horizontally. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The pump tower according to claim 12, wherein the stiffener is disposed on a horizontal plane in a group of four to form a square with the discharge pipe, the emergency pipe, and the filling pipe as vertexes and four stiffeners as sides. ### Claim 15 A pump tower provided a liquefied gas storage tank to supply and discharge liquefied gas to and from the liquefied gas storage tank, the pump tower comprising: a rotation preventing support mounted on a bottom of the liquefied gas storage tank to restrict rotation of the pump tower while permitting vertical displacement of the pump tower; and a horizontal movement preventing support mounted on a bottom of the liquefied gas storage tank to restrict horizontal displacement of the pump tower while permitting vertical displacement of the pump tower, wherein each of the rotation preventing support and the horizontal movement preventing support comprises a lower body secured to a hull, an upper body secured to the pump tower, and a wedge member interposed between the lower body and the upper body. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The pump tower according to claim 15, wherein the lower body of the rotation preventing support comprises a first lower body mounted on a bottom surface of the hull and having the same height as a sealing and insulating barrier of the liquefied gas storage tank and a second lower body extending from the first lower body. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The pump tower according to claim 16, wherein the first lower body has a cylindrical shape and the second lower body has a quadrangular tube shape. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The pump tower according to claim 16, wherein the first lower body has a frustoconical shape and the second lower body has a cylindrical shape with flat surfaces facing each other. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The pump tower according to claim 16, wherein the upper body of the rotation preventing support comprises right and left inclined surfaces to have a quadrangular tube shape with a wide top and a narrow bottom, the second lower body is inserted into the upper body of the rotation preventing support, and the wedge member is elastically pushed in a direction in which the wedge member is inserted between the right and left inclined surfaces and the second lower body. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The pump tower according to claim 15, wherein the lower body of the horizontal movement preventing support comprises a first lower body mounted on a bottom surface of the hull and having the same height as a sealing and insulating barrier of the liquefied gas storage tank and a second lower body extending from the first lower body. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The pump tower according to claim 20, wherein the first lower body and the second lower body have a cylindrical shape. ### Claim 22 (depends on 20) The pump tower according to claim 20, wherein the first lower body has a frustoconical shape, and the second lower body has a cylindrical shape. ### Claim 23 (depends on 20) The pump tower according to claim 20, wherein the upper body of the horizontal movement preventing support comprises an inclined inner circumferential surface to have a frustoconical shape with a wide top and a narrow bottom, the second lower body is inserted into the upper body of the horizontal movement preventing support, and the wedge member is elastically pushed in a direction in which the wedge member is inserted between the inclined inner circumferential surface and the second lower body. ### Claim 24 (depends on 20) The pump tower according to claim 20, wherein the wedge member comprises a plurality of wedge members arranged in a circular shape at predetermined intervals, a lid member is coupled to an upper end of the upper body by a bolt and a nut to prevent detachment of the wedge member, and the bolt is interposed between the wedge members such that a space between the wedge members can be maintained. ### Claim 25 A liquefied gas storage tank, comprising: a sealing and insulating barrier provided to prevent leakage of stored liquefied gas and to block heat transfer from outside; a pump tower comprising pipes used to discharge liquefied gas from the liquefied gas storage tank or to supply liquefied gas into the liquefied gas storage tank; and a liquid dome formed above the liquefied gas storage tank to allow the pump tower to be secured thereto; wherein the pump tower comprises a support disposed on a bottom of the liquefied gas storage tank to restrict horizontal movement and rotation of the pump tower while permitting vertical displacement of the pump tower, and wherein the support comprises a lower body secured to a hull, an upper body secured to the pump tower, and a wedge member interposed between the lower body and the upper body.