Liquefied natural gas storage container and method for manufacturing the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9360160-B2
Application number	US-201213810885-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 14, 2012
Priority date	May 12, 2011
Publication date	Jun 7, 2016
Grant date	Jun 7, 2016

Abstract

Provided are an LNG storage container with an inner shell, which is capable of efficiently storing LNG or pressurized LNG (PLNG) pressurized at a predetermined pressure and supplying the LNG or PLNG to a consumption place, and capable of reducing manufacturing costs by minimizing the use of a metal having excellent low temperature characteristic, and a method for manufacturing the same. The LNG storage container includes: an inner shell configured to store LNG inside; an outer shell configured to enclose the outside of the inner shell such that a space is formed between the inner shell and the outer shell; a support installed in the space between the inner shell and the outer shell to support the inner shell and the outer shell; and a heat insulation layer part installed in the space between the inner shell and the outer shell and configured to reduce a heat transfer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A liquefied natural gas (LNG) storage container comprising:
an inner shell configured to store LNG inside;
an outer shell configured to enclose the inner shell such that a space is formed between the inner shell and the outer shell;
a first inner support fixed to an outer surface of the inner shell at a first location;
a second inner support fixed to the outer surface of the inner shell at a second location that is distanced from the first location along an axis;
a first outer support fixed to an inner surface of the outer shell and aligned with the first inner support;
a second outer support fixed to the inner surface of the outer shell and aligned with the second inner support; and
a corrugation provided in the inner shell between the first location and the second location along the axis,
wherein the first inner support is connected to the first outer support and the second inner support is connected to the second outer support such that movement of the first inner support relative to the second inner support along the axis is substantially limited while permitting movement of the first inner support relative to the first outer support along a first direction perpendicular to the axis and also permitting movement of the second inner support relative to the second outer support along a second direction perpendicular to the axis, and
wherein with substantial limitation of relative movement between the first and second inner supports, the corrugation is configured to absorb thermal expansion and contraction of the inner shell along the axis.

2. The LNG storage container according to claim 1 , wherein the corrugation includes one or more curved portions.

3. The LNG storage container according to claim 1 , wherein the corrugation includes one or more of angled portions.

4. The LNG storage container according to claim 1 , wherein a sliding bar is formed in one of the first inner support and the first outer support, and a sliding hole is formed in the other of the first inner support and the first outer support such that the sliding bar is slidably movable within the sliding hole in the first and second directions.

5. The LNG storage container according to claim 4 , wherein the sliding bar is formed to protrude from the one of the first inner support and the first outer support.

6. The LNG storage container according to claim 5 , wherein the sliding bar has a sliding head at its distal end, the sliding head positioned outside of the sliding hole and configured to retain the sliding bar within the sliding hole and limit movement of the first inner support relative to the second inner support along the axis.

7. The LNG storage container according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second inner supports and the first and second outer supports include an upper flange and a lower flange, and webs connecting the upper flange and the lower flange.

8. The LNG storage container according to claim 7 , wherein a sliding hole is formed in the upper flange of the first and second outer supports, and a sliding bar is formed in the lower flange of the first and second inner supports that are disposed on top of the first and second outer support.

9. The LNG storage container according to claim 8 , wherein the first and second inner supports are made of a metal that withstands a low temperature, the first and second outer supports are made of a reinforced plastic, the first and second outer supports are connected to a connection plate, which is made of a metal withstanding a low temperature, and the connection plate is welded to the outer shell so that the first and second supports are connected to the outer shell.

10. The LNG storage container according to claim 9 , further comprising:
a plurality of additional inner supports fixed to the outer surface of the inner shell and spaced a distance along the axis from the first inner support or the second inner support; and
a plurality of additional outer supports fixed to the inner surface of the outer shell and connected to the plurality of additional inner supports.

11. The LNG storage container according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an equalizing line connecting an inner space of the inner shell and the space between the inner shell and the outer shell.

12. The LNG storage container according to claim 11 , wherein the equalizing line extends from the inner space of the inner shell to an outside of the storage container and is connected to the space between the inner shell and the outer shell.

13. The LNG storage container according to claim 12 , wherein one end of the equalizing line communicates with the inside of the inner shell, the other end of the equalizing line communicates with the space between the inner shell and the outer shell, and the other end of the equalizing line is located at a ½ position of a width (h) of the space.

14. The LNG storage container according to claim 13 , wherein an equalizing line flange is formed in the outer shell side contacting the equalizing line protruding to the outside of the storage container, such that the equalizing line flange is connected to the equalizing line, and the equalizing line flange and the equalizing line are made of a metal that withstands a low temperature of the LNG.

15. The LNG storage container according to claim 1 , wherein a first heat insulation layer made of an open cell heat insulator is formed in the inner shell side of the heat insulation layer part, and a second heat insulation layer made of a closed cell heat insulator is formed in the outer shell side.

16. The LNG storage container according to claim 1 , wherein a passage allowing a liquid to flow along a wall surface of the inner shell is formed in the inner shell side of the heat insulation layer part, and a heat insulation layer is formed in the outer shell side.

17. The LNG storage container according to claim 16 , wherein the heat insulation layer is provided with two or more heat insulator blocks installed at regular intervals in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis, and reinforced heat insulators are installed respectively between the heat insulator blocks.

18. The LNG storage container according to claim 1 , wherein the inner shell is made of a metal that withstands a low temperature of the LNG, and the outer shell is made of steel material that withstands internal pressure.

19. The LNG storage container according to claim 18 , wherein the inner shell withstands a temperature of of −120 to −95° C., and the outer shell withstands a pressure of 13 to 25 bar.

20. The LNG storage container according, to claim 19 , wherein the inner shell withstands a pressure of 0.5 bar.

21. The LNG storage container according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a heat insulation layer including two or more laminated heat insulation layers in the space between the inner shell and the outer shell so as to reduce a heat transfer between the inner shell and the outer shell,
wherein the two or more insulation layers comprise an inner insulation layer and an outer insulation layer interposed between the inner insulation layer and the outer shell, the outer insulation layer is higher in density than the inner insulation layer.

22. The LNG storage container according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a heat insulation layer part including heat insulation layers in the space between the inner shell and the outer shell so as to reduce a heat transfer between the inner shell and the outer shell,
wherein the he

Assignees

• Kim Yong Tai
• Kang Joong Kyoo
• Lee Jung Han
• Park Seong Woo
• Kwon Young Bin
• Shin Jung Sub
• Kim Kwang Seok
• Heo Haeng Sung
• Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine

Inventors

• Kim Yong Tai
• Kang Joong Kyoo
• Lee Jung Han
• Park Seong Woo
• Kwon Young Bin
• Shin Jung Sub
• Kim Kwang Seok
• Heo Haeng Sung

Classifications

• F17C2265/034

  with condensing the gas phase · CPC title

• F17C2209/232

  of walls · CPC title

• F17C2203/015

  Bars · CPC title

• F17C2203/0646

  Aluminium · CPC title

• F25J1/0212

  as a single flow MCR cycle · CPC title