Storage tank containment system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9708120-B2
Application number	US-201514923015-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 26, 2015
Priority date	Oct 26, 2006
Publication date	Jul 18, 2017
Grant date	Jul 18, 2017

Abstract

A large volume natural gas storage tank comprises a plurality of rigid tubular walls having opposing ends and intermediate segments with closed cross-sections extending along longitudinal axes. Each wall is interconnected at each end with respective ends of two other walls such that interconnected interiors define an interior fluid storage chamber. Exterior surfaces of planarly successive interconnected walls define sides of the storage tank. The tank further comprises exterior support structures each extending between the exterior surfaces of the walls forming each side of the storage tank and reinforcing the storage tank against dynamic loading from fluid in the interior fluid storage chamber. The tank further comprises closure plates each extending at least partially across exterior surfaces of the exterior support structures. Interior surfaces of the closure plates, interior surfaces of the exterior support structures, and exterior surfaces of walls at least partially define an auxiliary fluid storage chamber.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A large volume natural gas storage tank, comprising:
a plurality of rigid tubular walls each having opposing ends and an intermediate segment with a closed tubular cross-section, each of the plurality of rigid tubular walls interconnected at each end with respective ends of two others of the plurality of rigid tubular walls such that interconnected interiors of the plurality of rigid tubular walls define an interior fluid storage chamber;
a plurality of closure plates, each connected between exterior surfaces of successive interconnected rigid tubular walls to define a side of the storage tank, wherein interior surfaces of the closure plates and the exterior surfaces of the plurality of rigid tubular walls at least partially define an auxiliary fluid storage chamber; and
a filling tower providing fluid communication with the auxiliary fluid storage chamber, the filling tower including an outlet port disposed proximate to the interior surface of the closure plate forming the bottommost side of the storage tank.

2. The storage tank of claim 1 , wherein the filling tower includes a substantially vertical hollow tube extending between two opposing sides of the storage tank across the auxiliary fluid storage chamber from an intake port at a first end to the outlet port at a second end.

3. The storage tank of claim 2 , wherein the vertical hollow tube defines a plurality of ports spaced along an exterior of the vertical hollow tube and providing fluid communication with the auxiliary fluid storage chamber.

4. The storage tank of claim 2 , wherein the vertical hollow tube is supported by a plurality of support structures, each support structure connected between exterior surfaces of rigid tubular walls on opposing sides of the storage tank.

5. The storage tank of claim 1 , wherein the filling tower includes a substantially horizontal tube in fluid communication with the outlet port and extending across the auxiliary fluid storage chamber between two opposing sides of the storage tank along the interior surface of the closure plate forming the bottommost side of the storage tank.

6. A large volume natural gas storage tank, comprising:
a plurality of rigid tubular walls,
wherein each rigid tubular wall has opposing ends and an intermediate segment with a closed tubular cross-section extending along a longitudinal axis, and
wherein each rigid tubular wall is interconnected at each end with respective ends of two others of the plurality of tubular walls such that interconnected interiors of the plurality of tubular walls define an interior fluid storage chamber;

a plurality of closure plates,
wherein each closure plate is connected between exterior surfaces of successive interconnected rigid tubular walls to define a side of the storage tank, and
wherein interior surfaces of the closure plates and the exterior surfaces of the plurality of rigid tubular walls at least partially define an auxiliary fluid storage chamber;

a filling tower providing fluid communication with the auxiliary fluid storage chamber, the filling tower including a hollow tube extending between two opposing sides of the storage tank across the auxiliary fluid storage chamber from an intake port at a first end to an outlet port at a second end; and
a plurality of bulkheads,
wherein each bulkhead extends through at least one of the rigid tubular walls and across the interior fluid chamber in an orientation transverse to a longitudinal axis of the at least one rigid tubular wall, and
wherein each bulkhead extending through a rigid tubular wall on a bottommost side of the storage tank extends outward from an exterior surface of the rigid tubular wall and outward from an exterior surface of the closure plate to form a base for the storage tank.

7. The storage tank of claim 6 , wherein the base of the storage tank is configured to support the storage tank in an installation position within a cargo hold of a carrier.

8. The storage tank of claim 6 , wherein each bulkhead defines at least one aperture to permit a restricted flow of fluid through the bulkhead.

9. The storage tank of claim 6 , wherein the base of the storage tank includes bulkheads extending outward from the exterior surfaces of every rigid tubular wall on the bottommost side of the storage tank.

10. The storage tank of claim 9 , wherein the bulkheads on the base of the storage tank extend centrally through the rigid tubular walls and intersect at a center of the bottommost side of the storage tank.

11. A large volume natural gas storage tank, comprising:
a plurality of rigid tubular walls,
wherein each rigid tubular wall has opposing ends and an intermediate segment with a closed tubular cross-section extending along a longitudinal axis,
wherein each rigid tubular wall is interconnected at each end with respective ends of two others of the plurality of rigid tubular walls such that interconnected interiors of the plurality of rigid tubular walls define an interior fluid storage chamber, and
wherein exterior surfaces of planarly successive interconnected rigid tubular walls define sides of the storage tank;

a plurality of exterior support structures,
wherein each exterior support structure extends between the exterior surfaces of the rigid tubular walls forming each side of the storage tank, and
wherein each exterior support structure reinforces the storage tank against dynamic loading from fluid in the interior fluid storage chamber; and

a plurality of closure plates,
wherein each closure plate extends at least partially across an exterior surface of one of the plurality of exterior support structures, and
wherein interior surfaces of the closure plates, interior surfaces of the exterior support structures, and the exterior surfaces of the plurality of rigid tubular walls at least partially define an auxiliary fluid storage chamber.

12. The storage tank of claim 11 , wherein at least one of the exterior support structures includes a support surface extending from the exterior surface of one of the bottommost rigid tubular walls when the storage tank is in an installation position within a cargo hold of a carrier to the respective closure plate, the support surface configured to abut a ledge extending from the cargo hold and allow for expansion and contraction of the cargo hold while maintaining the storage tank in the installation position.

13. The storage tank of claim 12 , wherein the support surface extends angularly between 15 and 60 degrees above a horizontal plane extending through the longitudinal axes of all of the rigid tubular walls forming a bottommost side of the storage tank when the storage tank is in the installation position.

14. The storage tank of claim 13 , wherein the support surface is angled between 25 and 40 degrees.

15. The storage tank of claim 12 , wherein two of the exterior support structures on opposing sides of the storage tank include support surfaces configured to restrain the storage tank against one of pitch and roll in the installation position.

16. The storage tank of claim 11 , wherein each exterior support structure includes a plurality of lattice structures formed of rigidly interconnected braces.

17. The storage tank of claim 16 , further comprising:
a plurality of blocks, each block disposed within an opening defined by four of the rigidly interconnected braces in one of the lattice structures and configured to maintain the storage tank in an installation position when abutting a bracket extending from a cargo hold of a carrier.

Assignees

• Altair Eng Inc

Inventors

• Ramoo Regu
• Lamb Thomas

Classifications

• F17C2203/0648

  Alloys or compositions of metals · CPC title

• F17C2201/0166

  divided in several chambers · CPC title

• B65D90/0066

  Partition walls · CPC title

• B65D90/12 Primary

  Supports · CPC title

• F17C3/00

  Vessels not under pressure · CPC title