Liquefied gas tank and on-water structure including the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10259538-B2
Application number	US-201415035268-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 5, 2014
Priority date	Nov 7, 2013
Publication date	Apr 16, 2019
Grant date	Apr 16, 2019

Abstract

A liquefied gas tank installed in a surrounding structural body includes: a tank main body in which a liquefied gas is storable, the tank main body including a plurality of planar portions and corner portions between the planar portions, the corner portions having less rigidity than that of the planar portions; a bottom supporting body that supports the tank main body from below the tank main body; and a plurality of side supporting bodies that support the tank main body from side of the tank main body. The tank main body is configured to stand by itself by being supported by the bottom supporting body when the tank main body stores no cargo, and be supported by the bottom supporting body and the side supporting bodies when the liquefied gas is stored in the tank main body.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A liquefied gas tank installed in a surrounding structural body, comprising:
a tank main body in which a liquefied gas is storable, the tank main body including a plurality of face portions and corner portions between the face portions, the corner portions having less rigidity than that of the face portions;
a bottom supporting body that supports the tank main body from below the tank main body, the bottom supporting body being provided on one of the surrounding structural body and the tank main body; and
a plurality of side supporting bodies that support the tank main body from each lateral side of the tank main body, the side supporting bodies being provided on one of the surrounding structural body and the tank main body, wherein
the tank main body is configured to:
(a) have self-supporting sides such that the bottom supporting body contacts both of the surrounding structural body and the tank main body while the plurality of side supporting bodies do not contact the other one of the surrounding structural body and the tank main body when the tank main body stores no cargo, and
(b) be supported by the bottom supporting body and the plurality of side supporting bodies such that the bottom supporting body contacts both of the surrounding structural body and the tank main body while the plurality of side supporting bodies contact the other one of the surrounding structural body and the tank main body when the liquefied gas is stored in the tank main body.

2. The liquefied gas tank according to claim 1 , wherein
the plurality of side supporting bodies are provided on side face portions that face laterally among the face portions,
when the tank main body stores no cargo, a gap is formed between each of the plurality of side supporting bodies and the surrounding structural body, and
when the liquefied gas is stored in the tank main body, the tank main body expands at least laterally, such that the plurality of side supporting bodies come into contact with the surrounding structural body and support a load.

3. The liquefied gas tank according to claim 2 , wherein
when the tank main body is pre-cooled, the gap between each of the plurality of side supporting bodies and the surrounding structural body increases compared to when the tank main body stores no cargo.

4. The liquefied gas tank according to claim 1 , wherein
the bottom supporting body is one of a plurality of bottom supporting bodies.

5. The liquefied gas tank according to claim 1 , wherein
the tank main body further includes frame members provided on the face portions.

6. The liquefied gas tank according to claim 5 , wherein
the frame members are disposed on an inner surface side of the face portions, and
the plurality of side supporting bodies and the bottom supporting body are disposed, on an outer surface side of the face portions, at positions corresponding to the frame members.

7. The liquefied gas tank according to claim 1 , wherein
each of the plurality of side supporting bodies and/or the bottom supporting body is a cylindrical body made of fiber reinforced plastic.

8. The liquefied gas tank according to claim 1 , wherein
the tank main body is formed to have a dome-shaped structure such that, among the face portions, a top face portion facing upward is cambered and swelled.

9. The liquefied gas tank according to claim 1 , wherein
each of the corner portions has an arc-shaped cross section whose radius is in a range of ½ to 1/10 of a height of the tank main body.

10. The liquefied gas tank according to claim 1 , wherein
the tank main body is formed such that a central part of each of side portions facing laterally among the face portions is curved inward or outward.

11. The liquefied gas tank according to claim 1 , wherein
the tank main body is made of a nickel steel.

12. An on-water structure comprising the liquefied gas tank according to claim 1 .

13. The on-water structure according to claim 12 , comprising a plurality of the liquefied gas tanks, wherein
a bulkhead divides the plurality of the liquefied gas tanks.

14. A liquefied gas tank installed in a surrounding structural body, comprising:
a tank main body in which a liquefied gas is storable, the tank main body including a plurality of face portions and corner portions between the face portions, the corner portions having less rigidity than that of the face portions;
a bottom supporting body that supports the tank main body from below the tank main body, the bottom supporting body being provided on one of the surrounding structural body and the tank main body; and
a plurality of side supporting bodies that support the tank main body from each lateral side of the tank main body, the side supporting bodies being provided on one of the surrounding structural body and the tank main body, wherein
the tank main body is configured to:
(a) have self-supporting sides such that the bottom supporting body contacts both of the surrounding structural body and the tank main body while the plurality of side supporting bodies do not contact the other one of the surrounding structural body and the tank main body in a case where the tank main body stores no cargo, and
(b) be supported by the bottom supporting body and the plurality of side supporting bodies when the tank main body expands at least laterally such that the bottom supporting body contacts both of the surrounding structural body and the tank main body while the plurality of side supporting bodies contact the other one of the surrounding structural body and the tank main body in a case where the liquefied gas is stored in the tank main body.

15. A liquefied gas tank installed in a surrounding structural body, comprising:
a tank main body in which a liquefied gas is storable, the tank main body including a plurality of face portions and corner portions between the face portions, the corner portions having less rigidity than that of the face portions;
a bottom supporting body that supports the tank main body from below the tank main body, the bottom supporting body being provided on one of the surrounding structural body and the tank main body; and
a plurality of side supporting bodies that support the tank main body from side of the tank main body, the side supporting bodies being provided on one of the surrounding structural body and the tank main body, wherein
the tank main body is configured to:
(a) have self-supporting sides such that the bottom supporting body contacts both of the surrounding structural body and the tank main body and a gap is formed between each of the plurality of side supporting bodies and the other one of the surrounding structural body and the tank main body in a case where the tank main body stores no cargo, and
(b) be supported by the bottom supporting body and the plurality of side supporting bodies when a load of the liquefied gas causes deformation of the corner portions such that the tank main body expands at least laterally such that the bottom supporting body contacts both of the surrounding structural body and the tank main body while the plurality of side supporting bodies contact the other one of the surrounding structural body and the tank main body in a case where the liquefied gas is stored in the tank main body.

Assignees

• Kawasaki Heavy Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Sano Atsushi
• Izumi Naruyoshi
• Takaoka Yukichi
• Fukasawa Toshifumi
• Nishikawa Hiroyasu
• Kumamoto Hideki
• Mori Hiroaki

Classifications

• F17C2203/0663

  in form of fibers or filaments · CPC title

• F17C2201/0157

  Polygonal · CPC title

• F17C2227/04

  Methods for emptying or filling · CPC title

• F17C2205/013

  Two or more vessels · CPC title

• B63B25/12

  closed · CPC title