Prefabricated, fluid-tight and heat-insulating wall structure for vessels for cryogenic fluids

摘要

The present invention relates to a prefabricated structure making it possible to produce fluid-tight and heat-insulating walls for a heat-insulated containment chamber (vessel) such as a fluid-tight tank for storing and/or transporting a cryogenic (very low temperature) fluid. This structure (1) which comprises an internal fluid-tight and flexible barrier (2), an insulation system (4), and an external skin (3) forming a support for the structure (1) is characterised in that distribution panels (53) secured to the external skin (3) are fixed to the latter particularly by screws or the like (35) located facing holes (435) formed in an external insulating layer (43) at a distance from joints (63) between plates (43a) forming this layer, whilst a fluid-tight connection (80) is located hermetically in each of these holes (435) and joints (63). The invention applies to the production of structures forming fluid-tight tanks, for example for ships for transporting cryogenic liquids such as methane tankers.