The invention relates to an insulating block intended for the thermal insulation of a fluid storage tank comprising: a first plate (11) and a second plate that are parallel to one another, spaced apart in a thicknesswise direction of the insulating block; supporting pillars inserted between said first and second plates (10, 11) in the thicknesswise direction of the insulating block; and a heat-insulating lining positioned between the supporting pillars; the first plate (11) comprising reinforced bearing zones (13) against which the supporting pillars (12) come to bear, the reinforced bearing zones (13) being linked to one another by a network of ribs (16).

A thermally insulating sealed tank including a bottom wall (2) attached to a supporting wall (1), the bottom wall (2) including: a sealing membrane (3) comprising a plurality of welded corrugated metal sheets, a thermally insulating barrier (4), the sealing membrane (3) and the thermally insulating barrier (4) being interrupted in a singular zone by a window (7), the tank comprising a hollow structure (15) inserted into the window (7), the hollow structure (15) being arranged through the body of the tank wall (2), wherein the tank (71) includes a metal closure plate (23), the metal closure plate (23) comprising an inner edge (24) welded all around the hollow structure (15), the metal closure plate (23) including an outer edge (25) placed under the sealing membrane (3) so as to form an overlapping area, is disclosed.

Sealed and thermally insulating tank incorporated into a polyhedral bearing structure, the tank having a plurality of tank walls, a thermally insulating barrier and a sealed membrane, a first bearing wall and second bearing wall forming an edge corner, the thermally insulating barrier of a first tank wall having a row of edging blocks, a row of anchor strips anchored to the second bearing wall by a row of anchor rods, a first and second of edging blocks each having a groove formed in thickness of said edging block, a first and a second of said anchor rods being housed respectively in the groove of the first and second edging blocks, one anchor strip in the row of anchor strips is supported overlapping the first edging block and the second edging block, the anchor strip being coupled to the first anchor rod and to the second anchor rod.

A heat insulation structure for corner parts of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) storage tank includes a secondary insulation wall arranged on an inner wall of a hull, a secondary sealing wall disposed on the secondary insulation wall, a primary insulation wall arranged on the secondary sealing wall, and a primary sealing wall disposed on the primary insulation wall. The heat insulation structure includes a corner assembly finishing an edge of the primary sealing wall at a corner part of the storage tank to complete sealing of the storage tank. The corner assembly includes an endcap sheet finishing each of four corners of the primary sealing wall provided to each surface of the storage tank to seal the four corners. The endcap sheet includes an endcap corrugation and an elongated corrugation extending in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the endcap corrugation extends.

An insulating wall fixing device for liquefied natural gas storage tanks includes: a base socket; and a securing stud inserted into the base socket. The base socket is formed on an upper surface thereof with an insertion hole through which the securing stud is inserted into the base socket and has an interior space in which one end of the securing stud is settled. The securing stud includes an insertion portion inserted into the interior space of the base socket through the insertion hole and a fastening portion protruding from the insertion portion outwardly of the base socket. The insertion portion includes a spherical shape and multiple leg members divided by a groove formed from one end of the insertion portion to the other end of the insertion portion. The multiple leg members of the insertion portion are retracted toward the groove.

An insulation box of an insulating barrier in a liquefied gas carrier includes a box structure that includes a bottom panel, a top panel, external pillars, and optionally at least one internal partition that define at least one void. The at least one void includes at least one multilayer insulation board. Each of the at least one multilayer insulation board includes at least one facer layer, at least one first polyurethane layer having a first density from 100 kg/m.sup.3 to 2000 kg/m.sup.3 according to ASTM D 1622, and at least one second polyurethane layer having a second density of less than 100 kg/m.sup.3 according to ASTM D 1622.

A tank for transporting and/or storing a liquefied gas includes: a plurality of walls, each including, in a direction of the thickness of the wall, a thermally insulating barrier and a leak-tight membrane that rests against the thermally insulating barrier and is intended to be in contact with the liquefied gas inside the tank, the thermally insulating barrier including a plurality of self-supporting heat-insulating panels which each includes a block of polymer foam and a plate, a bottom wall of the plurality of walls includes a first portion at least partially surrounding a second portion of the bottom wall, the second portion including drain. The blocks of polymer foam of the second portion have a density greater than a density of the polymer foam blocks of the first portion.

The invention meets the objective by providing an insulated tank system, comprising an inner tank, thermal insulation external to the inner tank, an inlet and an outlet or a combined inlet and outlet from outside the tank to inside the inner tank, for filling and emptying of fluid, wherein the inner tank contain fluid when in operation. The tank system is distinguished in that it further comprises thermal insulation in the form of insulation block elements arranged side by side externally on the inner tank, with a gap between the insulation block elements at least on the external side thereof, wherein the tank system further comprises a support structure comprising one or more block elements, wherein each block element face and contact an insulation block element, directly or via one or more intermediate layers, wherein the support structure comprises structure for lifting the tank via the support structure, wherein the tank can be lifted and handled by merely loading the external insulation block elements facing said block elements without directly loading the inner tank, and wherein thermal contraction or expansion are taken up by the gaps between the block insulation elements.

The invention provides a tank feasible for cryogenic service and a method of building the tank. The tank comprises: an inner tank, thermal insulation, and an outer shell that is airtight, wherein the thermal insulation is arranged outside the inner tank and the outer shell is arranged outside the thermal insulation, further comprising a coupling through the outer shell, wherein a vacuum pump outside the tank can be coupled for suction of air and gas from the volume between the inner pressure tank and the outer shell, and further comprising an opening from outside the tank to inside the inner tank for loading and unloading of fluid, wherein the inner tank in operation contains fluid and the volume between the inner tank and the outer shell is at vacuum. The tank is distinguished in that: the thermal insulation comprises several block elements arranged side by side on the inner tank, with a gap in between the block elements, wherein the outer shell comprises several parts that have been joined together to cover the whole outer surface of the insulation, wherein parts of the outer shell covering an insulation block element have shape matching the insulation block element shape and parts of the outer shell covering the gaps between the block elements have inward or outward oriented curved shape if seen in cross section along the respective gaps and are flexible by contracting or stretching the curved shape.

A tank for transporting and/or storing a liquefied gas includes: a load-bearing structure, a plurality of walls each including, in a thickness direction of the wall, a thermally insulating layer resting against the load-bearing structure and a sealing membrane resting against the thermally insulating layer. The plurality of walls includes a bottom wall, and a guiding structure configured to receive a tower for loading and/or unloading the liquefied gas contained in the tank. The guiding structure includes a base bearing against the load-bearing structure. The thermally insulating layer includes one self-supporting heatproof panel, and a clearance delimited by a portion of the self-supporting heatproof panel and by the load-bearing structure, the clearance being configured to accommodate part of the base of the guiding structure.