LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS STORAGE TANK AND INSULATING WALL FOR LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS STORAGE TANK

Abstract

The present invention relates to a liquefied natural gas (LNG) storage tank having slits in the upper and lower portions of a first insulating wall, and to an insulating wall for an LNG storage tank. One embodiment of the present invention provides a storage tank for storing LNG therein, comprising: a first sealing wall coming into contact with the LNG stored in the storage tank, for liquid-tight sealing the LNG; and a first insulating wall disposed below the first sealing wall, for insulating the LNG, wherein the first insulating wall has a plurality of first slits in the upper portion thereof and a plurality of second slits in the lower portion thereof.

Claims

1-8. (canceled)

9. A liquefied natural gas storage tank comprising: a primary sealing wall contacting liquefied natural gas stored in the storage tank and sealing the storage tank in a liquid-tight manner; a primary heat insulating wall disposed under the primary sealing wall and thermally insulating the storage tank; a secondary heat insulating wall disposed on an inner wall of the storage tank and thermally insulating the storage tank; and a secondary sealing wall interposed between the primary heat insulating wall and the secondary heat insulating wall and sealing the storage tank in a liquid-tight manner when the primary sealing wall leaks, wherein the secondary heat insulating wall comprises a plurality of secondary heat insulating wall panels, each of the secondary heat insulating wall panels having a groove formed at an upper portion thereof, the secondary sealing wall is formed with a corrugated portion, and the secondary sealing wall is placed on the secondary heat insulating wall such that the corrugated portion is located in a gap between the plurality of secondary heat insulating wall panels and in the groove.

10. The liquefied natural gas storage tank according to claim 9, further comprising: a heat insulating wall securing element securing the primary heat insulating wall to the secondary heat insulating wall such that the primary heat insulating wall can slide in a horizontal direction.

11. The liquefied natural gas storage tank according to claim 10, wherein the heat insulating wall securing element, comprises a stud bolt secured to the secondary heat insulating wall and a nut fastened to the stud bolt, and wherein the primary heat insulating wall is formed with a through-hole, the stud bolt being inserted into the through-hole and fastened to the nut such that the primary heat insulating wall is secured to the secondary heat insulating wall.

12-15. (canceled)

Description

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0049] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a GTT NO 96-type storage tank, which is a conventional LNG storage tank.

[0050] FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a TGZ Mark III-type storage tank, which is a conventional LNG storage tank.

[0051] FIG. 3 is a view showing thermal contraction-induced behavior of a primary heat insulating wall of a typical LPG storage tank.

[0052] FIG. 4 is a sectional view of an exemplary ship having an LNG storage tank according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0053] FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a heat insulating structure of an LNG storage tank according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0054] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the heat insulating structure of the LNG storage tank according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0055] FIG. 7 is a view illustrating a structure of a heat insulating wall securing element of an LNG storage tank according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0056] FIG. 8 is a view illustrating a method of installing a plug of the heat insulating wall securing element of the LNG storage tank according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0057] FIG. 9 is a sectional view of a primary heat insulating wall of an LNG storage tank according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0058] FIG. 10 is a view showing the location where a primary sealing wall of an LNG storage tank according to an embodiment of the present invention meets upper slits of a primary heat insulating wall of the LNG storage tank.

[0059] FIG. 11 is a view showing thermal contraction-induced behavior of the primary heat insulating wall of the LNG storage tank according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0060] FIG. 12 is a view of a secondary heat insulating wall panel according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0061] FIG. 13 is a view of a secondary sealing wall unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

EMBODIMENTS

[0062] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that like components will be denoted by like reference numerals throughout the specification and the accompanying drawings. In addition, descriptions of details apparent to those skilled in the art will be omitted for clarity.

[0063] First, a structure of a ship having an LNG storage tank according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is a sectional view of an exemplary ship having an LNG storage tank according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0064] Referring to FIG. 4, the LNG storage tank according to the embodiment of the present invention may be installed in a ship 300, and the ship 300 is composed of a hull having a double structure of an outer wall 310 forming an outer shape and an inner wall 320 formed inside the outer wall 310. The inner wall 320 and the outer wall 310 of the ship 300 may be connected to each other through a connecting rib 330 to be integrally formed with each other. Alternatively, the ship 300 may be composed of a hull having a single structure without the inner wall 320. In addition, only an upper portion of the ship 300 may be formed as a single deck, and the outer shape of the deck may vary depending on the size or storage capacity of the ship 300.

[0065] Further, the interior of the inner wall 320 may be divided by one or more bulkheads 340, and the bulkhead 340 may also form a cofferdam.

[0066] A sealing wall 350 seals the storage tank containing LNG in a liquid-tight manner, is in contact with the LNG, and may have a corrugated portion to cope with temperature change caused by loading/unloading of ultra-low temperature LNG.

[0067] A heat insulating wall 360 is formed between the sealing wall 350 and the inner wall 320 to thermally insulate the storage tank. The heat insulating wall 360 is composed of a primary heat insulating wall and a secondary heat insulating wall, and the sealing wall may be interposed between the primary heat insulating wall and the secondary heat insulating wall.

[0068] Next, a heat insulating structure of an LNG storage tank according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a heat insulating structure of an LNG storage tank according to an embodiment of the present invention and FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the heat insulating structure of the LNG storage tank according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0069] Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, the LNG storage tank according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a primary sealing wall 410, a primary heat insulating wall 420, a secondary sealing wall 430, a secondary heat insulating wall 440, and a heat insulating wall securing element 450.

[0070] The primary sealing wall 410 is disposed on the primary heat insulating wall 420 to seal the storage tank containing LNG in a liquid-tight manner while contacting the LNG.

[0071] The secondary sealing wall 430 is interposed between the primary heat insulating wall 420 and the secondary heat insulating wall 440 and serves to seal the storage tank in a liquid-tight manner when the primary sealing wall 410 leaks.

[0072] A plurality of corrugated portions is formed in both the primary sealing wall 410 and the secondary sealing wall 430 to prevent damage due to shrinkage and elongation due to temperature changes. The corrugated portion expands or contracts due to temperature changes caused by loading/unloading of LNG to prevent damage due to thermal deformation applied to the primary sealing wall 410 and the secondary sealing wall 430. As shown in FIG. 5, the primary sealing wall 410 has a greater number of corrugated portions than the secondary sealing wall 430. This is because the primary sealing wall 410 is in direct contact with LNG and thus undergoes more expansion or contraction due to temperature change than the secondary sealing wall 430.

[0073] Each of the primary sealing wall 410 and the secondary sealing wall 430 may be formed of stainless steel.

[0074] The primary heat insulating wall 420 is disposed under the primary sealing wall 410 to thermally insulate the storage tank, and the secondary heat insulating wall 440 is installed on an inner wall of the LNG storage tank to thermally insulate the storage tank. In other words, the LNG storage tank is provided on the inner wall thereof with the secondary heat insulating wall 440, and the primary heat insulating wall 420 is disposed above the secondary heat insulating wall 440.

[0075] Each of the primary heat insulating wall 420 and the secondary heat insulating wall 440 is composed of an upper plate, a lower plate, and an insulator formed between the upper plate and the lower plate. The upper plate and the lower plate may be formed of plywood, and the insulator may be formed of polyurethane foam.

[0076] The primary sealing wall 410, which directly contacts LNG, is disposed on the upper plate of the primary heat insulating wall 420. A metal strip 460 is disposed on the upper plate of the primary heat insulating wall 420, and the primary sealing wall 410 is welded to the strip 460.

[0077] The secondary sealing wall 430 is disposed on the upper plate of the secondary heat insulating wall 440. A metal strip is disposed on the upper plate of the secondary heat insulating wall 440 and the secondary sealing wall 430 is welded to the strip 460.

[0078] The heat insulating wall securing element 450 serves to secure the primary heat insulating wall 420 to the secondary heat insulating wall 440. Specifically, the heat insulating wall securing element secures the primary heat insulating wall 420 to the secondary heat insulating wall 440 such that the primary heat insulating wall can slide in a horizontal direction.

[0079] FIG. 7 is a view illustrating a structure of a heat insulating wall securing element for an LNG storage tank according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 8 is a view illustrating a method of installing a plug of the heat insulating wall securing element for the LNG storage tank according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0080] Referring to FIG. 7, the heat insulating wall securing element 450 includes a stud bolt 620, a special washer 630, a spring washer 640, a nut 650, and a spacer 660.

[0081] A metal strip 610 is disposed on the upper plate 441 of the secondary heat insulating wall 440 and the stud bolt 620 is secured to the strip. Since threads are formed on the strip 610 and on a lower end portion of the stud bolt 620, the stud bolt 620 is secured to the strip 610 by engaging the thread of the strip 610 with the thread of the stud bolt 620, followed by tightening the bolt.

[0082] A through-hole is formed through each of the primary heat insulating wall 420 and the secondary sealing wall 430 at a portion where the heat insulating wall securing element 450 will be installed. When the primary heat insulating wall 420 and the secondary sealing wall 430 are installed on the secondary heat insulating wall 440, the stud bolt 620 is inserted into the through-hole of each of the primary heat insulating wall 420 and the secondary sealing wall 430. Then, after mounting the special washer 630 and the spring washer 640, the nut 650 is fastened to the stud bolt 620 to secure the primary heat insulating wall 420 to the secondary heat insulating wall 440.

[0083] The special washer 630 serves to prevent the lower plate of the primary heat insulating wall 420 from being separated from the heat insulating wall securing element 450 even when the lower plate contracts. The special washer 630 has a larger diameter than the nut 650 to secure a large area where the lower plate of the primary heat insulating wall 420 can slide.

[0084] The spring washer 640 can prevent the nut 650 from loosening when the lower plate of the primary heat insulating wall 420 vertically contracts.

[0085] After the nut 650 is fastened to the stud bolt 620, the spacer 660 may be mounted. The spacer 660 has a donut shape surrounding a side surface of the nut and may be formed of plywood. The spacer 650 serves to distribute the load of LNG to protect the bolt and the nut.

[0086] The heat insulating wall securing element 450 according to the embodiment of the present invention is configured to allow the lower plate of the primary heat insulating wall 420 to slide between the secondary sealing wall 430 and the special washer 630, such that the primary heat insulating wall 420 can slide in the horizontal direction when undergoing thermal contraction, thereby minimizing thermal stress.

[0087] A plug is provided to plug a hole required for mounting the heat insulating wall securing element 450.

[0088] As described above, the hole for mounting the heat insulating wall securing element 450 is formed through the primary heat insulating wall. If the hole is left after installation of the heat insulating wall securing element 450 is completed, a cold spot can occur, causing a structural problem in the insulation system of the storage tank and increasing a boil off rate (BOR). In order to solve such a problem, the hole is plugged with the plug 670. After mounting the spacer 660, the plug 670 is securely inserted into the hole. As shown in FIG. 7, a thread 671 is formed on a bottom surface of the plug 670 to be coupled to the stud bolt 620, such that the plug 670 can be bolted to an upper portion of the heat insulating wall securing element 450.

[0089] The plug 670 has a cylindrical shape and may include an upper sheet, an insulator, a lower sheet, and a lower cap. The upper sheet and the lower sheet may be formed of plywood and the insulator may be formed of polyurethane foam.

[0090] The lower cap is placed under the lower sheet and is composed of a cap portion and a flange radially extending from a lower end of the cap portion. The lower sheet is formed at the center thereof with a hole into which the cap portion of the lower cap is inserted. The cap portion is formed therein with a thread, which will be fastened to the upper portion of the stud bolt 620, such that the plug 670 can be coupled to the heat insulating wall securing device 450.

[0091] The plug mounting method according to the embodiment of the present embodiment is advantageous in that the method can facilitate installation of the plug, reduce the working time, and provide a strong and stable holding force, as compared with a method of installing the plug 670 using adhesives.

[0092] Next, slits of a primary heat insulating wall for an LNG storage tank according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 to 11. FIG. 9 is a view of a primary heat insulating wall of the LNG storage tank according to the embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 10 is a view showing the location where a primary sealing wall of the LNG storage tank according to the embodiment of the present invention meets upper slits of the primary heat insulating wall of the LNG storage tank, and FIG. 11 is a view showing thermal contraction-induced behavior of the primary heat insulating wall of the LNG storage tank according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0093] Referring to FIG. 9, the primary heat insulating wall of the LNG storage tank according to the embodiment of the invention is formed with upper and lower slits 910. A plurality of upper slits of the primary heat insulating wall 420 is formed in an upper plate 421 at constant intervals, and a plurality of lower slits of the primary heat insulating wall 420 is formed in a lower plate 423 at constant intervals.

[0094] The upper slits of the primary heat insulating wall 420 may extend from the uppermost portion of the upper plate 421 to an upper portion of an insulator 422, and the lower slits of the primary heat insulating wall 420 may extend from the lowermost portion of the lower plate 421 to a lower portion of the insulator 422. In addition, the upper slits may be formed at the points where the primary heat insulating wall 420 meets corrugated portions of the primary sealing wall 410.

[0095] Referring to FIG. 10, the plurality of upper slits 910 of the primary heat insulating wall 420 may be formed in a grid pattern. In addition, the plurality of lower slits 910 of the primary heat insulating wall 420 may also be formed in a grid pattern.

[0096] At the upper side of FIG. 11, there is shown a primary heat insulating wall 420 which is placed at room temperature and is not deformed, and, at the lower side of FIG. 9, there is shown a primary heat insulating wall 420 which is under cryogenic conditions during carriage of LNG. Referring to FIG. 11, it can be seen that, by forming a plurality of slits in the upper and lower portions of the primary heat insulating wall 420, the primary heat insulating wall 420 is prevented from being bent upward and contract in the transverse and longitudinal directions without undergoing warpage. As such, the upper and lower slits 910 of the primary heat insulating wall 420 can reduce stress of the primary heat insulating wall 420 upon thermal contraction of the primary heat insulating wall 420. As a result, stress generated in the heat insulating wall securing element 450 is lowered, thereby providing structural stability to the storage tank.

[0097] Next, arrangement of corrugated portions of a secondary sealing wall of an LNG storage tank according to a further embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 6 and 12 to 13.

[0098] FIG. 12 is a view of a secondary heat insulating wall panel according to an embodiment of the present invention and FIG. 13 is a view of a secondary sealing wall unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0099] Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, corrugated portions 911, 912, 913 of the secondary sealing wall 430 are disposed in a gap between the plural secondary heat insulating wall panels or in a groove of the secondary heat insulating wall panel.

[0100] Referring to FIG. 12, the secondary heat insulating wall panel is formed at an upper portion thereof with grooves 811, 812. Here, the grooves may extend from the uppermost portion of an upper plate of the secondary heat insulating wall to a portion of the insulator.

[0101] Although two grooves are shown in FIG. 12, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited thereto and the number of grooves may be changed in various way.

[0102] The secondary sealing wall 430 may be composed of a plurality of secondary sealing wall units. FIG. 13 shows a secondary sealing wall unit constituting the secondary sealing wall. Referring to FIG. 13, the secondary sealing wall unit has corrugated portions formed downward. Although one longitudinal corrugated portion 921 and three transverse corrugated portions 911, 912, 913 are shown in FIG. 13, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited thereto, and the number of corrugated portions may be changed in various ways.

[0103] Referring to FIG. 6, when the secondary sealing wall unit as shown in FIG. 13 is disposed on the secondary heat insulating wall 440, the first transverse corrugated portion 911 and the longitudinal corrugated portion 921 may be disposed in gaps between secondary heat insulating wall panels, the second transverse corrugated portion 912 may be disposed in the first groove 811, and the third transverse corrugated portion 913 may be disposed in the second groove 812.

[0104] In addition, the secondary heat insulating wall panel is provided on an upper portion thereof with a metal strip 820 for welding the secondary sealing wall such that an edge of the secondary sealing wall unit is welded to the strip 820 in order to secure the secondary sealing wall to the secondary heat insulating wall.

[0105] Although some embodiments have been described herein, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that these embodiments are given by way of illustration only, and that various modifications, variations and alterations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, the embodiments disclosed herein should not be construed as limiting the technical scope of the present invention, but should be construed as illustrating the idea of the present invention. The scope of the present invention should be interpreted according to the appended claims and equivalents thereof.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0106] 410: Primary sealing wall

[0107] 420: Primary heat insulating wall

[0108] 430: Secondary sealing wall

[0109] 440: Secondary heat insulating wall

[0110] 450: Heat insulating wall securing element

[0111] 460: Strip

[0112] 620: Stud bolt

[0113] 630: Special washer

[0114] 640: Spring washer

[0115] 650: Nut

[0116] 660: Spacer

[0117] 670: Plug

[0118] 811, 812: Groove

[0119] 910: Slit

[0120] 911, 912, 913, 921: Corrugated portion