Abstract An offshore storage tank, to be placed on a sea floor, having a dome-shaped rigid continuous enclosure, open at the bottom, a buoyant chamber in the enclosure extending over a large part of the area of the enclosure and positioned and sized to provide buoyancy balance or equilibrium to the tank when the tank is floating on water with or without any amount of air in the large volume defined by the enclosure, a conduit to remove air from beneath the enclosure to lower it in water. The enclosure can constitute two spaced apart rigid domed shells with rigid connecting members joined to each shell to hold them in fixed position relative to each other, with a concrete ring closing the bottom of the enclosure between the shell ends thus defining a hollow enclosed space between the shells.
Inventors
👤 D Stafford
👤 G Burns
👤 Kenna K Mc
Bibliographic Details
Application Number—
JurisdictionUS
Data Sourcegoogle_patents
Last Synchronized2026-11-05 18:42
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65D; B65D88/00; B65D88/78
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 2
Claim 1
Independent Claim
149 words
An offshore storage tank to be placed on the floor of a body of wather comprising: a generally dome-shaped rigid continuous enclosure, open at the bottom and surrounding a large volume, said enclosure comprising an outer rigid semispherical shell and a smaller concentric inner semispherical shell, said shells being held in fixed position relative to each other by means of rigid connecting members joined to each shell, and ballast means closing the bottom of the enclosure between the shell ends, thereby defining a hollow enclosed space between the shells; said hollow enclosed space constituting buoyancy means for providing buoyancy balance or equilibrium to the tank when the tank is floating on water with or without any amount of air in the large volume surrounded by the enclosure; and conduit means communicating with the volume beneath the enclosure for removing air therefrom, whereby the enclosure can be lowered in water.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
149 words
An offshore storage tank to be placed on the floor of a body of wather comprising: a generally dome-shaped rigid continuous enclosure, open at the bottom and surrounding a large volume, said enclosure comprising an outer rigid semispherical shell and a smaller concentric inner semispherical shell, said shells being held in fixed position relative to each other by means of rigid connecting members joined to each shell, and ballast means closing the bottom of the enclosure between the shell ends, thereby defining a hollow enclosed space between the shells; said hollow enclosed space constituting buoyancy means for providing buoyancy balance or equilibrium to the tank when the tank is floating on water with or without any amount of air in the large volume surrounded by the enclosure; and conduit means communicating with the volume beneath the enclosure for removing air therefrom, whereby the enclosure can be lowered in water.