An apparatus and method of storing and transporting, in a dual-use cryogenic storage tank, a cryogenic liquid having a liquefaction temperature. A first pump empties the tank of a first portion of the cryogenic liquid, thereby leaving a second portion of the cryogenic liquid in the cryogenic storage tank. A second portion of the cryogenic liquid is focused at a location on a bottom of the cryogenic storage tank. Using a second pump located at the location, the cryogenic storage tank is emptied of the second portion of the cryogenic liquid, whereby a residual portion of the cryogenic liquid is left therein. Using a focused heating structure, heat may be delivered to the location to raise the temperature of the residual portion above the liquefaction temperature, thereby vaporizing all of the residual portion.

A floating cryogenic storage structure includes a hull with a center line extending in a length direction and two longitudinal side walls, the structure including at least three spherical storage tanks, two tanks being situated with their midpoints on spaced apart longitudinal positions along a first line extending in the length direction at a first side of the center line and a third tank being situated with its midpoint on a longitudinal position on a second line extending in the length direction at a second side of the center line, and a transverse distance between the first and second lines not larger than a diameter of the tanks and the longitudinal position of the midpoint of the third tank situated between the longitudinal positions of the midpoints of the first and second tanks.

A method for managing the filling levels of a plurality of tanks arranged in a ship, said tanks being connected in such a way as to allow liquid to be transferred between said tanks, the method comprising providing an initial state (7) of the tanks, determining a target state (8) defining respective final filling levels of said tanks, determining a liquid transfer scenario (9), the transfer scenario defining one or more flows of liquid to be transferred between the tanks during a transfer period in order to shift from the initial state to the target state of the tanks, calculating a probability of damage to the tanks (10) during the course of said transfer scenario, as a function of successive filling levels of the tanks during the transfer period, if the probability of damage to the tanks satisfies an acceptance criterion, transferring (13) the liquid between the tanks in accordance with said transfer scenario.

A hydrostatically compensated compressed air energy storage system may include an accumulator disposed underground, a gas compressor/expander subsystem in fluid communication with the accumulator interior via an air flow path; a compensation liquid reservoir spaced apart from the accumulator and in fluid communication with the layer of compensation liquid within the accumulator via a compensation liquid flow path; and a first construction shaft extending from the surface of the ground to the accumulator and being sized and configured to i) accommodate the passage of a construction apparatus therethrough when the hydrostatically compensated compressed air energy storage system is being constructed, and ii) to provide at least a portion of one of the air flow path and the compensation liquid flow path when the hydrostatically compensated compressed air energy storage system is in use.

A compressed gas energy storage system may include an accumulator for containing a layer of compressed gas atop a layer of liquid. A gas conduit may have an upper end in communication with a gas compressor/expander subsystem and a lower end in communication with accumulator interior for conveying compressed gas into the compressed gas layer of the accumulator when in use. A shaft may have an interior for containing a quantity of a liquid and may be fluidly connectable to a liquid source/sink via a liquid supply conduit. A partition may cover may separate the accumulator interior from the shaft interior. An internal accumulator force may act on the inner surface of the partition and the liquid within the shaft may exert an external counter force on the outer surface of the partition, whereby a net force acting on the partition is less than the accumulator force.

A method and apparatus fueling vehicle with gaseous fuel includes storage vessels, dispensing sub-stations and a controller. The storage tanks or vessels can be at different pressures. The plurality of dispensing sub-stations each include a dispensing hose and a control valve. Each dispensing sub-station is in controllable fluid communication with the storage vessels so that fluid can flow from the storage vessels through the dispensing sub-station to a vehicle tank. A dispensing hose, and a control valve of the dispensing sub-stations are in the fluid flow paths. The controller receives feedback indicative of a filling parameter from the dispensing sub-stations, and provides control signals to the control valves of the first and second dispensing sub-station to implement one or more desired fill schemes.

A sealed and thermally insulating wall for a tank for storing fluid includes a heat-insulating panel and a sealing plate. The inner face of the heat-insulating panel has a stress-relieving slot.

An example tank can be used to contain, transport, and/or store fluids, e.g., one or more liquids and/or gases. In one embodiment, the tank includes a plurality of segments collectively defining an interior chamber that retains the fluid(s), each of which includes opposing ends defining beveled mating surfaces. The tank also includes a plurality of endcaps positioned between, and in engagement with, adjacent segments, as well as a plurality of webs that include a series of first webs having a first configuration and a series of second webs having a second, different configuration. The first webs are positioned within the plurality of segments between the ends thereof, and the second webs are positioned within the endcaps. In an alternate embodiment, the tank is devoid of the endcaps, and instead, includes segments defining beveled mating surfaces that intersect at junctures to define four corner sections of the tank.

An installation for storing and transporting a cryogenic fluid on a ship includes: a sealed and thermally insulating tank, having a ceiling wall including, from the outside to the inside, a primary thermally insulating barrier and a primary sealing membrane intended to be in contact with the cryogenic fluid; and a sealed line penetrating through the ceiling wall of the tank, the line including a bottom portion of which a first end is situated inside the ceiling wall of the tank and a second end is situated outside the ceiling wall of the tank in a thicknesswise direction of the ceiling wall, and a top portion fixed to the second end of the bottom portion. The bottom portion includes an alloy with low thermal expansion coefficient. The primary sealing membrane is tightly fixed to the bottom portion of the line around the line.

According to aspects of the present disclosure, a process of fabricating a unitized container panel is disclosed. The unitized container panel is fabricated by forming a multilayer insulated panel, which has opposing external layers and an intermediate layer therebetween. The intermediate layer is a combination of an insulation material (e.g., vacuum insulated panel, aerogel, etc.), and a buffer material (e.g., a foam board, polystyrene, fiberglass, minerals, plastic, natural fibers, wood, plastic, etc.) that bounds the insulation material. Pressure is applied about the multilayer insulated panel for a predetermined process time, causing the external layers to encase the intermediate layer. After elapse of the predetermined process time, the pressure is released about the multilayer insulated panel, thereby resulting in a unitized container panel.