Tanks for the storage and transport of fluid media under pressure

An internal-pressure-sustaining insulatable tank of generally rectangular cross-section for the storage and transport of fluid media under pressure, comprising a bottom wall, a top wall, two opposite longitudinal side walls and two opposite end walls, an internal framework of plates, bottom supports and top supports;

• each of said bottom, top and side walls consisting of a multiplicity of equal-sized parallel lobes, each lobe of part-cylindrical form having an arc in the range 50.degree. to 90.degree. and being convex outwardly of the tank with each of its two inwardly-directed longitudinal edges joined to both a longitudinal edge of a lobe alongside and an edge of a plate of said internal framework;
• each of said end walls consisting of a multiplicity of equal-sized convex end wall elements having the same radius of curvature as said lobes and each joined at its inwardly directed edges to the end wall elements alongside and to plates of said internal framework;
• tank corner elements being provided to unite said bottom, top, side and end walls to one another, said corner elements being convex and of the same radius of curvature as said lobes but with larger arcs;
• said internal framework consisting of two orthogonally intersecting series of parallel plates, each plate in one series extending from the joint between two lobes of one side wall to the respective opposite joint of the opposite side wall, each plate in the other series extending from the joint between two lobes of the bottom wall to the respective opposite joint between two lobes of the top wall, and the plates of at least one of said series extending longitudinally and being also united to the joints of the opposite end walls so that the tank end walls are tied to one another longitudinally;
• the joints at the intersections of the two series of plates being formed by cruciform section insert elements with the end edges of the four arms of the cruciform welded to respective plates, the joints between the bottom wall lobes and plates of the internal framework being formed by bottom insert elements having a crosssection that is generally cruciform with vertical top and bottom arms and downwardly drooped side arms, the side arms being welded to the respective bottom wall lobes and the top arms being welded to the respective internal plates, the joints between the side wall lobes and the plates of the internal framework being formed by Y-section insert elements with the arms thereof welded to the respective side wall lobes and internal plates, and at least some of the joints between the top wall lobes and the plates of the internal framework being formed by top insert elements having a cross section that is generally cruciform with vertical top and bottom arms and upwardly inclined side arms, the side arms being welded to the respective top wall lobes and the bottom arms being welded to the respective plates;
• and wherein said bottom supports include longitudinally-extending grooves which are located under the tank and slidably engage with the bottom arms of the bottom insert elements to thereby support and permit longitudinal expansion of the tank with space below the lowermost parts of the bottom wall lobes, and said top supports are located above the tank and engage the top arms of the top insert elements.