US3754675A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Low-temperature liquefied-gas storage reservoir
Assignee: Gaz Transport SARL
•
Filing: 1971-10-18
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Granted: 1973-08-28
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Expires: 1991-10-18
Abstract
Abstract The reservoir intended for the storage of very great quantities of liquefied gas at very low temperature is provided with a heat insulating layer of very great thickness. For this purpose the insulating layer consists of juxtaposed caissons made of radial panels secured to the walls of the reservoir and of front panels resting side by side, with a clearance between one another, upon the inner radial edges of said radial panels. Struts angularly disposed between the walls of the reservoir and the front panels reinforce the construction.
Inventors
- 👤 L Richard
- 👤 A Gilles
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 13:42
CPC Classifications
F; F17; F17C; F17C3/00; F17C3/02; F17C3/022; F17C2203/00; F17C2203/06; F17C2203/0634; F17C2203/0678; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S220/00; Y10S220/901
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
315 words
Reservoir for the storage of liquefied gas at very low temperature having a base and being adapted to be mounted permanently on a firm ground, of the type comprising an outer rigid shell comprising a heat-insulated bottom wall, a side wall and a cupula shaped cover, a thick heat-insulating layer comprising vertical caissons filled with insulating material, said caissons being mounted side by side and covering internally the greater part of the side wall, and at least one sealing barrier secured to and against said heat-insulating layer and comprising a thin sheet of a metal which is resilient at low temperature and has a low coefficient of thermal expansion, said heat-insulating layer resisting deformation forces occurring in use of the reservoir, said vertical caissons being juxtaposed and each comprising: a. radial panels of thin, heat-insulating strong material, said panels being arranged edge to edge, vertically one above the other, substantially to the top of said reservoir side-wall and means for securing said panels to said side-wall comprising studs and metal fittings pre-arranged in vertical lines on the inner face of the reservoir side-wall; b. front panels of thin, heat-insulating strong material, said front panels being arranged side by side with a clearance between one another, and resting upon the inner radial edges of said radial panels, locking bolts secured to said radial panels and whose threaded shanks project towards the interior of the reservoir on said radial panels, locking means mounted on said bolts to lock said front panels to said radial panels, locking tongues forming joint-covers which rest astride upon two adjacent edges of two adjacent front panels each provided with grooves intended to receive said joint-covers, said locking means resting upon said locking tongues, the lengths of said radial panels and of said front panels being substantially the same for easy handling and said heatinsulation filling said caissons being light, yieldable heatinsulating material.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
315 words
Reservoir for the storage of liquefied gas at very low temperature having a base and being adapted to be mounted permanently on a firm ground, of the type comprising an outer rigid shell comprising a heat-insulated bottom wall, a side wall and a cupula shaped cover, a thick heat-insulating layer comprising vertical caissons filled with insulating material, said caissons being mounted side by side and covering internally the greater part of the side wall, and at least one sealing barrier secured to and against said heat-insulating layer and comprising a thin sheet of a metal which is resilient at low temperature and has a low coefficient of thermal expansion, said heat-insulating layer resisting deformation forces occurring in use of the reservoir, said vertical caissons being juxtaposed and each comprising: a. radial panels of thin, heat-insulating strong material, said panels being arranged edge to edge, vertically one above the other, substantially to the top of said reservoir side-wall and means for securing said panels to said side-wall comprising studs and metal fittings pre-arranged in vertical lines on the inner face of the reservoir side-wall; b. front panels of thin, heat-insulating strong material, said front panels being arranged side by side with a clearance between one another, and resting upon the inner radial edges of said radial panels, locking bolts secured to said radial panels and whose threaded shanks project towards the interior of the reservoir on said radial panels, locking means mounted on said bolts to lock said front panels to said radial panels, locking tongues forming joint-covers which rest astride upon two adjacent edges of two adjacent front panels each provided with grooves intended to receive said joint-covers, said locking means resting upon said locking tongues, the lengths of said radial panels and of said front panels being substantially the same for easy handling and said heatinsulation filling said caissons being light, yieldable heatinsulating material.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
83 words
Reservoir according to claim 1, comprising cable elements, an expansion corrugation means at the bottom wall of said reservoir and which interconnects respective sealing barriers which cover both said bottom and side wall of the reservoir, wherein said corrugation means is secured on said insulating caissons, said caissons being slidingly movable on said bottom wall for radial displacement and loosely attached to the reservoir bottom by said elements, and a bearing insulating layer which is resiliently deformable upon which said corrugation means rests.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
48 words
Reservoir according to claim 1, wherein said radial panels and said front panels respectively are each comprised of two parallel inner and outer sheets of rigid heat-insulating material separated by spacing pieces, separating said sheets and a said light, yieldable heat-insulating material being located between said spaced sheets.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
36 words
Reservoir according to claim 3, wherein the outer sheet of each of the front panels is provided with openings communicating with the internal space comprised between the said two sheets of each of said front panels.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
137 words
Reservoir according to claim 1, wherein beams are mounted horizontally against the inner face of said front panels between two adjacent radial panels and wherein struts of rigid heat-insulating material rest, at one of their ends, upon said metal fittings to which said radial panels are attached, said struts being mounted substan-tially horizontally and extending angularly at an angle of about 45* with respect to the radial direction at the mounting location and shoes provided on the inner face of said beams directed towards said side wall and which receive the other ends of said struts, and adjusting means to adjust the extent of bearing of each shoe on its associated strut, said struts forming a bracing for said front panels to prevent their being crushed under the pressure of the liquefied gas contained in the reservoir.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
25 words
Reservoir according to claim 5, wherein the number of said struts mounted on said side-wall decreases from the base to the top of said side-wall.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
32 words
Reservoir according to claim 5 wherein said struts mounted on said side wall are disposed so as to provide progressive decreasing bracing from the base to the top of said side wall.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
27 words
Reservoir according to claim 1, wherein tenons ensure the connection and vertical alignment of the panels, the vertical edges of said panels being provided with corresponding mortises.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
26 words
Reservoir according to claim 8, wherein said tenons which ensure the connection and the vertical alignment of the front panels are provided respectively with vertical apertures.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
102 words
Reservoir according to claim 1, wherein said front panels, as well as said locking tongues forming joint covers therefor, each have on the respective outer surfaces thereof vertical slots constituted by a substantially rectangular cut provided on said outer surface and prolonged under this surface on one side of said cut, a horizontal bar member being received in each slot, a rod forming a locking shoulder for each member also located in each slot, and each said sealing barrier comprising a thin sheet of metal having a low coefficient of thermal expansion, maintained against the outer surface of a said front panel.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
47 words
Reservoir according to claim 10, wherein each sealing barrier comprises two thin sheets of a metal that is resilient at low temperature and has a low coefficient of thermal expansion, and an insulating layer between said sheets for separation thereof, said barrier being welded onto said members.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3093260A
Cited
US3339784A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-08-27 | 1977-02-26 | 1977-08-28 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-08-27 | 1981-02-26 | 1981-08-28 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-08-27 | 1985-02-26 | 1985-08-28 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |