FOOT-IN-FOOT MOUNTING OF CRYOGENIC STORAGE CONTAINERS

Abstract

A storage container for cryogenic liquids comprising an inner container which encloses a volume for receiving a fluid medium, an outer container which encloses a volume in which the inner container is arranged, with the result that an interspace is formed between the inner container and the outer container, and wherein the outer container has at least one outerfoot by means of which the storage container can be supported on an underlying surface, wherein the at least one outerfoot takes the form of a hollow body, and wherein the inner container has at least one inner foot for supporting the inner container that projects into the interior of the at least one outer foot.

Claims

1. A storage container for fluid media, in particular cryogenic liquids, having: an inner container (200) with an inner container shell (201), which encloses an inner container volume (202) for receiving a fluid medium (F), and also an outer container (100) with an outer container shell (101), which encloses an outer container volume (102) in which the inner container (200) is arranged, so that a first interspace (210) is formed between an outer side (201a) of the inner container shell (200) and an inner side (101b) of the outer container shell (101), and wherein the outer container (100) has at least one outer container foot (300), with which the storage container (1) can be supported on an underlying surface (U), and wherein the at least one outer container foot (300) is formed as a hollow body, which surrounds an interior space (302) of the at least one outer container foot (300), wherein the inner container (200) has at least one inner container foot (400) for supporting the inner container (200), which protrudes into that interior space (302) of the at least one outer container foot (300), and wherein the at least one inner container foot (400) is mounted on a base (303) of the at least one outer container foot (300) by way of a sliding bearing (500), characterized in that the storage container (1) has a guide (600), which is designed to guide the at least one inner container foot (400), wherein the guide (600) has two guiding bodies (601, 602), which protrude from the base (303) of the at least one outer container foot (300), wherein the inner container foot (400) is arranged between the two guiding bodies (601, 602), so that it can be guided along the guiding bodies (601, 602) by the latter.

2. The storage container as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the sliding bearing (500) has a first surface (500a), which is fixed on the at least one inner container foot (400), and also a second surface (500b), which is fixed on the base (303), wherein the first surface (500a) is designed to slide on the second surface (500b).

3. The storage container as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that a lubricant (500c) is provided between the two surfaces (500a, 500b).

4. The storage container as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the sliding bearing (500) has a coefficient of sliding friction that is less than or equal to 0.1

5. The storage container as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the at least one outer container foot (300) is closed in the downward direction by the base (303), wherein the base (303) is designed for supporting the at least one outer container foot (300) on the underlying surface (U).

6. The storage container as claimed claim 1, characterized in that between an outer side (400a) of the at least one inner container foot (400) and an inner side (300b) of the at least one outer container foot (300) there is formed a second interspace (340), which is connected to the first interspace (210).

7. The storage container as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that that second interspace (340) surrounds the at least one inner container foot (400).

8. The storage container as claimed claim 1, characterized in that an insulating means (10) is arranged in the first interspace (210) and/or the second interspace (340), wherein in particular the insulating means (10) completely fills the first and/or second interspace (210, 340).

9. The storage container as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the at least one outer container foot (300) is formed as hollow-cylindrical.

10. The storage container as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the at least one outer container foot (300) protrudes from the outer container shell (101), wherein in particular the at least one outer container foot (300) is fixed by a running-around peripheral region (301) on a running-around peripheral region (105) of a through-opening (305) of the outer container shell (101).

11. The storage container as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the at least one inner container foot (400) is fixed on the inner container shell (201), in particular by an end region (402) of the at least one inner container foot (400) that is opposite from that underside (401).

Description

[0036] Further features and advantages are to be explained in the following description of the figures of an exemplary embodiment of the invention on the basis of the figure, in which:

[0037] FIG. 1 shows a schematic sectional representation of a storage container according to the invention for a fluid medium and also a detail of the sectional representation that shows the outer container foot and the inner container foot arranged therein in an enlargement;

[0038] FIG. 2 shows a further detail of FIG. 1 that shows the sliding mounting according to the invention of an inner container foot; and

[0039] FIG. 3 shows a schematic plan view of a guide for an inner container foot.

[0040] FIG. 1 shows a schematic sectional view of a storage container 1 for fluid media, in particular cryogenic liquids. The storage container 1 has an outer container 100, with an outer container shell 101, which extends along a longitudinal axis L, which runs parallel to the vertical when the storage container 1 is set up as intended. The storage container 1 may also be a lying or horizontal container, in the case of which the longitudinal axis L runs along the horizontal. The outer container shell 101 bounds an outer container volume 102, arranged in which is an inner container 200 of the storage container 1, which is designed for receiving or for storing a fluid medium F, for example in the form of a cryogenic liquid. The inner container 200 has in turn an inner container shell 201, which bounds an inner container volume 202, into which the fluid medium F to be stored is introduced. The inner container shell 201 likewise extends along a longitudinal axis L and is preferably arranged coaxially in relation to the outer container shell 101. The common longitudinal axis L may form a cylinder axis of the two shells 101, 201.

[0041] The inner container 200 is preferably arranged in the outer container 100 in such a way as to create between an outwardly facing outer side 201a of the inner container shell 201 and an inner side 101b of the outer container shell 101 that is facing the inner container shell 201 an interspace 210, which runs around the inner container 200 and in which an insulating means 10 is provided in order to reduce the transfer of outside heat to the medium F stored in the inner container volume 202. Perlite or rocks, glass bubbles (hollow glass beads), multilayer insulating means (that is to say insulating means comprising a number of layers), other bulk materials or else fluid insulating means may be used for example as insulating means.

[0042] For setting up the storage container 1 on a horizontal underlying surface or foundation U, the outer container 200 has an outer container foot 300 (see above) or a plurality of outer container feet 300, for example four such feet 300, two such outer container feet 300 being shown in the section according to FIG. 1.

[0043] The respective outer container foot 300 is then formed as a hollow body which is open on one side and surrounds an interior space 302 of the respective outer container foot 300. In this case, the respective outer container foot 300 may be formed as hollow-cylindrical and has a base 303, by which the storage container 1 or the respective outer container foot 300 rests on the underlying surface U, wherein from the base 303 of the respective outer container foot 300 there protrudes a running-around side wall 304, which has a running-around upper peripheral region 301, by way of which the respective outer container foot 300 is fixed on a lower region or base of the outer container shell 101 (for example by way of a welded connection). In this case, that running-around peripheral region 301 of the respective outer container foot 300 is fixed on a running-around peripheral region 105 of a through-opening 305 of the outer container shell 101 or of the base of the outer container shell, so that the interior space 302 or the second interspace 340 (see below) of the respective outer container foot 300 is connected to or goes over into the first interspace 210 by way of the respective through-opening 305. The respective outer container foot 300 or its side wall 304 in this case protrudes from the lower region or base of the outer container shell 101 along the longitudinal axis L in the direction of the underlying surface U.

[0044] The inner container 200 then has for its part a number of inner container feet 400 corresponding to the number of outer container feet 300, which inner container feet respectively extend along the longitudinal axis L and are fixed on a lower region of the inner container shell 201 or on a base of the inner container shell 201 by way of an end region 402. Each inner container foot 400 then extends from the inner container shell 201 or base into the interior space 302 of an assigned outer container foot 300 and thereby supports itself on the horizontally running base 303 of the assigned outer container foot 300 by way of a sliding bearing 500.

[0045] According to FIG. 2, the respective sliding bearing has an upper first surface 500a, which may be provided on said underside 401 of the inner container foot concerned, and also a lower second surface 500b, which may be provided on an upper side 303a of the base 303 of the corresponding outer container foot 300.

[0046] Here, the respective first surface 500a is designed to rest on the respectively assigned second surface 500b or to slide on it (in the horizontal plane). If appropriate, a lubricant 500c may be provided here between the two surfaces 500a, 500b. With a suitable pairing of materials, it is also possible however to dispense with a separate lubricant 500c (for example if one of the surfaces is formed by PTFE and the other by a steel). The sliding bearings 500 formed in this way preferably have in each case a coefficient of sliding friction that is less than or equal to 0.1. Of course, each of the two surfaces 500a, 500b may also each be formed by separate sliding body, which is then fixed on the inner container foot 400 or on the outer container foot 300 (for example base 303).

[0047] According to FIGS. 2 and 3, the storage container 1 may have for each inner container foot 400 a guide 600, which is designed to guide the respective inner container foot 400 in the radial direction R when there is temperature-induced shrinkage or expansion of the inner container 200. The respective radial direction R is in this case directed from the longitudinal axis L to the respective inner container foot 400 and is in this case perpendicular to the longitudinal axis L. The respective guide 600 may have for this purpose two guiding bodies 601, 602, which are made to extend parallel to the radial direction and preferably protrude in the vertical direction from the base 303 of the respective outer container foot 301, wherein the respective inner container foot 400 is arranged between the two guiding bodies 601, 602, so that it can be guided along the guiding bodies 601, 602 in or counter to the radial direction R.

[0048] The inner container feet 400 slidingly mounted in such a way in each case run in the respectively assigned outer container foot 300. In this case there is between an outwardly facing outer side 400a of the respective inner container foot 400 and an inner side 300b of the assigned outer container foot 300 that is facing the respective inner container foot 400 a second interspace 340, which surrounds the respective inner container foot 400 and goes over into the first interspace 210 by way of the respective through-opening 305. The first interspaces 340 may of course also be filled with the (or some other) insulating means 10. The outer container feet 300 may of course also be integrally formed in one piece on the outer container shell 101.

[0049] The arrangement according to the invention of the feet 300, 400 consequently makes it possible that, in the event of structural failure, the outer container 100 can support itself on the inner container 200, via which the load can then be introduced into the underlying surface U, wherein furthermore, as a result of the sliding mounting, lower loads act on the inner container 200 when the inner container 200 shrinks and the loads on the foundation are reduced in the load case of an earthquake.

TABLE-US-00001 List of reference numerals 1 Storage container 10 Insulating means 100 Outer container 101 Outer container shell 101b Inner side 102 Outer container volume 105 Peripheral region 200 Inner container 201 Inner container shell 201a Outer side 202 Inner container volume 210 First interspace 300 Outer container foot 300b Inner side 301 Peripheral region 302 Interior space 303 Base 303a Upper side 304 Side wall 305 Through-opening 340 Second interspace 400 Inner container foot 400a Outer side 401 Underside or standing area 402 End region 500 Sliding bearing 500a, 500b Surface 500c Lubricant 600 Guide 601, 602 Guiding body F Fluid medium L Longitudinal axis or vertical