# US 9,518,700 B2 · Impermeable and thermally insulated tank comprising a metal membrane that is corrugated in orthogonal folds > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,518,700 B2 - Document ID: US9518700B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/434,634 - Filed: 2013-10-09 - Published: 2015-10-08 - Granted: 2016-12-13 - Earliest claimed: 2012-10-09 - Assignees: Gaztransport Et Technigaz - Applicants: Gaztransport Et Technigaz - Inventors: Mickael Herry; Johan Bougault; Antoine Philippe; Benjamin Charpentier - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9518700B2 ## CPC - F17C 3/04: by insulating layers (F17C3/08 takes precedence) - B63B 25/16: heat-insulated (insulating panelling B63B3/68; heating or cooling B63J) - F17C 3/027: {Wallpanels for so-called membrane tanks} - F17C 6/00: Methods and apparatus for filling vessels not under pressure with liquefied or solidified gases - F17C 9/00: Methods or apparatus for discharging liquefied or solidified gases from vessels not under pressure - F17C 13/001: {Thermal insulation specially adapted for cryogenic vessels (vessels not under pressure with insulation F17C3/02; thermal insulation in general F16L59/00)} - F17C 2201/0157: Polygonal - F17C 2201/052: large (>1000 m3) - F17C 2203/0333: Polyurethane - F17C 2203/0354: Wood - F17C 2203/0358: in form of panels - F17C 2203/0631: Three or more walls - F17C 2203/0643: Stainless steels - F17C 2203/0648: Alloys or compositions of metals - F17C 2203/0651: Invar - F17C 2205/0355: Insulation thereof - F17C 2205/0364: flexible or articulated, e.g. a hose - F17C 2205/0367: Arrangements in parallel - F17C 2209/221: Welding - F17C 2209/227: by adhesive means - F17C 2209/228: by screws, bolts or rivets - F17C 2209/232: of walls - 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 2270/0107: Wall panels - F17C 2270/0113: floating - F17C 2270/0123: Terminals - F17C 2270/0136: Terminals - 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) ## Abstract An impermeable and thermally insulated tank built into a load-bearing structure, the tank wall comprising: a thermally insulated barrier attached to a load-bearing wall and made of insulated blocks, juxtaposed in parallel rows separated from one another by gaps, an impermeable barrier supported by the thermally insulated barrier and made of welded metal sheets. Each insulated block carries, on the face of same opposite the load-bearing wall, two metal connecting strips arranged in parallel to the sides of the insulated block. The sheets of the membrane carried by the insulated block are welded to the strips. The connecting strips are rigidly connected to the insulated block carrying same. The sheets each have at least two orthogonal folds parallel to the sides of the insulated blocks, the folds being inserted into the gaps formed between two insulated blocks. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An impermeable and thermally insulated tank built into a structure that includes a load-bearing wall, said tank having a tank wall attached to said load-bearing wall, the tank wall comprising: a thermally insulated barrier held on the load-bearing wall and made up of cuboid thermally insulated blocks, juxtaposed in parallel rows separated from one another by gaps, an impermeable barrier carried by the thermally insulated barrier, said impermeable barrier comprising a metal membrane formed of metal sheets welded together sealingly, at least some of the insulated blocks of the thermally insulated barrier carrying, on the face of same opposite the load-bearing wall, at least two substantially orthogonal metal connecting strips, arranged parallel to the sides of the insulated block, the sheets of the metal membrane carried by said insulated block being welded to said strips, said connecting strips being rigidly connected to the insulated block bearing same, the adjacent metal sheets of the impermeable barrier being welded in an overlapping manner on top of the connecting strips carried respectively by the thermally insulated barrier; a plurality of sheets of the metal membrane each having at least two orthogonal folds parallel to the sides of the thermally insulated blocks, said folds being inserted in the gaps formed between the insulating blocks. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The tank as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tank wall has a primary element and a secondary element arranged between the load-bearing wall and the primary element, both the primary element and the secondary element including a thermally insulated barrier made up of cuboid thermally insulated blocks, juxtaposed in parallel rows and both the primary and secondary elements including an impermeable barrier arranged on the thermally insulated barrier, the thermally insulated barrier of the secondary element being rigidly connected to the load-bearing wall, the thermally insulated barrier of the primary element being rigidly connected using attachment means connected to the thermally insulated barrier of the secondary element. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The tank as claimed in claim 2, wherein the impermeable barrier of the secondary element is formed by the metal membrane comprising a plurality of sheets each having at least two orthogonal folds parallel to the sides of the thermal insulated blocks, inserted in the gaps formed between the insulated blocks of the secondary element. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The tank as claimed in claim 3, wherein the sheets of the metal membrane of the secondary element are made of an iron alloy with nickel or manganese, having a coefficient of expansion not exceeding 7×10−6 K−1. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The tank as claimed in claim 2, wherein the impermeable barrier of the primary element is formed of metal sheets welded together sealingly, with folds oriented towards the inside of the tank. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The tank as claimed in claim 2, wherein the insulated block of the thermally insulated barrier has a base plate on which is arranged a foam layer, the base plate overhanging the foam. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The tank as claimed in claim 6, wherein the insulated block of the thermally insulated barrier of the secondary element is pressed against the load-bearing wall using fixtures welded to the load-bearing wall and cooperating with the overhanging zones of the base plate of the insulated block. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The tank as claimed in claim 2, wherein the insulated block of the thermally insulated barrier of the secondary element is held on the load-bearing wall by bonding. ### Claim 9 (depends on 2) The tank as claimed in claim 2, wherein each insulated block of the thermally insulated barrier of the secondary element carries the two connecting strips that are arranged along the two axes of symmetry of the rectangle defined by a large face of said insulated block. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The tank as claimed in claim 9, wherein the attachment means of the thermally insulated barrier of the primary element include a continuous metal plate arranged at the intersection of the two connecting strips at the center of the rectangle of each insulated block of the secondary element such as to form an impermeable zone to which the corners of the four sheets can be welded around said attachment means, and a projecting member crossing the impermeable barrier of the secondary element without reaching the impermeable barrier of the primary element. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The tank as claimed in claim 10, wherein the projecting members are studs, the bases of which are attached to the continuous metal plate placed at the intersection of the two connecting strips of the insulated block of the secondary element, an intermediate part being interposed between firstly a nut cooperating with the thread provided at the free extremity of the stud and secondly the overhanging parts of the plates of the insulated blocks of the thermally insulated barrier of the primary element. ### Claim 12 (depends on 2) The tank as claimed in claim 2, wherein each insulated block of the thermally insulated barrier of the primary element has two connecting strips that are arranged in the vicinity of the edges of a large face of said insulated block. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The tank as claimed in claim 1, wherein the connecting strips of the insulated block are seated in recesses formed in the insulated block bearing same so as not to increase the thickness on the corresponding face of the insulated block. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The tank as claimed in claim 13, wherein the connecting strip of the insulated block is attached to the recess of same by screwing, riveting, stapling or bonding. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The tank as claimed in claim 1, wherein the metal sheets, which form the impermeable barrier, are rectangular and each have two folds formed along the axes of symmetry of the rectangle formed by the edges of the rectangular sheet. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The tank as claimed in claim 15, wherein the two folds of the sheet of the impermeable barrier intersect at the center of the rectangular sheet. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The tank as claimed in claim 15, wherein one of the folds of the sheet of the impermeable barrier is continuous and the other is interrupted in the central portion of same. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The tank as claimed in claim 17, wherein the impermeable barrier includes sheets of a first type that have a continuous fold along the major axis of same and sheets of a second type that have a continuous fold along the minor axis of same, the first and second types of sheet alternating regularly on a tank wall so that one sheet of one of the types is always surrounded by four sheets of the other type arranged along the four sides of same. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The tank as claimed in claim 1, wherein each insulated block of the thermally insulated barrier has two series of orthogonal slots, each of said series having slots arranged parallel to two opposing sides of the insulated block, and in that the sheets of the metal membrane each have two series of supplementary folds, each of said series of supplementary folds having folds orthogonal to the folds in the other series, parallel to one of the two folds inserted in the gaps, and inserted into the slots of one of the series of slots formed in the insulated block. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The tank as claimed in claim 1, wherein the metal membrane has a second plurality of sheets, each of the sheets in the second plurality having a single fold parallel to two opposing sides of the insulated blocks, said fold being inserted into a gap formed between two insulated blocks. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The tank as claimed in claim 1, wherein each insulated block of the thermally insulated barrier has a slot parallel to two opposing sides of the insulated blocks and in which the metal membrane has a second plurality of sheets, each of the sheets in the second plurality having a fold inserted in a slot formed in an insulated block and a fold inserted in a gap formed between two insulated blocks. ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) A ship used to transport a liquid product, the ship having a double hull and a tank as claimed in claim 1 placed inside the double hull. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) A method of using a ship as claimed in claim 22 for loading or offloading a liquid product, comprising the step of channeling a liquid product through insulated pipes to or from an onshore or floating storage facility to or from the tank on the ship. ### Claim 24 (depends on 22) A transfer system for a liquid product, the system including a ship as claimed in claim 22, insulated pipes arranged to connect the tank installed in the hull of the ship to an onshore or floating storage facility and a pump for driving a flow of liquid product through the insulated pipes to or from the onshore or floating storage facility to or from the tank on the ship. ### Claim 25 (depends on 2) The tank as claimed in claim 2, wherein the attachment means of the thermally insulated barrier of the primary element include a continuous metal plate arranged at the intersection of the two connecting strips to form an impermeable zone to which the corners of the four sheets can be welded around said attachment means, and a projecting member crossing the impermeable barrier of the secondary element without reaching the impermeable barrier of the primary element. ### Claim 26 (depends on 1) The tank as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of sheets of the metal membrane each having at least two orthogonal folds inserted in the gaps formed between the insulating blocks are welded to the connecting strips. ### Claim 27 (depends on 1) The tank as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of sheets of the metal membrane each having at least two orthogonal folds inserted in the gaps formed between the insulating blocks are juxtaposed and are welded together sealingly. ### Claim 28 (depends on 1) The tank as claimed in claim 1, wherein each insulating block of the thermally insulated barrier is covered by at least four sheets of the plurality of sheets of the metal membrane each having at least two orthogonal folds inserted in the gaps formed between the insulating blocks. ### Claim 29 (depends on 1) The tank as claimed in claim 1, wherein the two metal connecting strips that are carried by each insulating block of the thermally insulated barrier are arranged along the two axes of symmetry of a rectangle defined by a large face of said insulating block; wherein the plurality of sheets of the metal membrane each having at least two orthogonal folds inserted in the gaps formed between the insulating blocks are welded to the connecting strip and are rectangular, the orthogonal folds being formed along the axes of symmetry of the rectangle formed by the edges of the rectangular sheet. ### Claim 30 An impermeable and thermally insulated tank built into a structure that includes a load-bearing wall, said tank having a tank wall attached to said load-bearing wall, the tank wall comprising: a thermally insulated barrier held on the load-bearing wall and made up of cuboid thermally insulated blocks, juxtaposed in parallel rows separated from one another by gaps, an impermeable barrier carried by the thermally insulated barrier, said impermeable barrier comprising a metal membrane formed of metal sheets welded together sealingly, at least some of the insulating blocks of the thermally insulated barrier carrying, on the face of same opposite the load-bearing wall at least two substantially orthogonal metal connecting strips, arranged parallel to the sides of the insulating block, the sheets of the metal membrane carried by said insulating block being welded to said strips, said connecting strips being rigidly connected to the insulating block bearing same, a plurality of sheets of the metal membrane each having at least two orthogonal folds parallel to the sides of the thermal insulating blocks, said folds being inserted in the gaps formed between the insulating blocks; wherein each insulating block of the thermally insulated barrier has two series of orthogonal slots, each of said series having slots arranged parallel to two opposing sides of the insulating block, and in that the sheets of the metal membrane each have two series of supplementary folds, each of said series of supplementary folds having folds orthogonal to the folds in the other series, parallel to one of the two folds inserted in the gaps, and inserted into the slots of one of the series of slots formed in the insulating block. ### Claim 31 An impermeable and thermally insulated tank built into a structure that includes a load-bearing wall, said tank having a tank wall attached to said load-bearing wall, the tank wall comprising: a thermally insulated barrier held on the load-bearing wall and made up of cuboid insulating blocks, juxtaposed in parallel rows separated from one another by gaps, an impermeable barrier carried by the thermally insulated barrier, said impermeable barrier comprising a metal membrane formed of metal sheets welded together sealingly, at least some of the insulating blocks of the thermally insulated barrier carrying, on the face of same opposite the load-bearing wall at least two substantially orthogonal metal connecting strips, arranged parallel to the sides of the insulating block, the sheets of the metal membrane carried by said insulating block being welded to said strips, said connecting strips being rigidly connected to the insulating block bearing same, a plurality of sheets of the metal membrane each having at least two orthogonal folds parallel to the sides of the thermal insulating blocks, said folds being inserted in the gaps formed between the insulating blocks; wherein each insulating block of the thermally insulated barrier has a slot parallel to two opposing sides of the insulating blocks and in which the metal membrane has a second plurality of sheets, each of the sheets in the second plurality having a fold inserted in a slot formed in an insulating block and a fold inserted in a gap formed between two insulating blocks.