Device comprising a receptacle for storing a liquid

Abstract

Equipment ( 1 ) including a container ( 19 ) for the storage of a liquid ( 2 ) as well as thermal insulation panels ( 12,13 ), wherein none of the thermal insulation panels ( 12,13 ) is mounted directly on or even in contact with an outer surface of the container ( 19 ), wherein a chamber ( 5 ) housing the container ( 19 ) is delimited by an enclosure ( 6 ) consisting of walls ( 7 ), a floor ( 8 ) and a ceiling ( 9 ), and which is accessible through an access opening, either in the form of an entrance opening in one of the walls ( 7 ) closeable by a door or in the form of a manhole ( 11 ) closeable by a lid ( 10 ), wherein an inner surface of the chamber ( 5 ) is entirely covered with the thermal insulation panels ( 12,13 ) in such a way that a volume of space occupied by the container ( 19 ) is smaller than a volume of space delimited by the thermal insulation panels ( 12,13 ) at the inner side of the walls, the ceiling and the floor, leaving space for maintenance between the outer surface of the container ( 19 ) and the thermal insulation panels ( 12,13 ) mounted to the inner surface of the chamber ( 5 ), and wherein the heat exchange between the insulated chamber ( 5 ) and its surrounding is restricted to (i) a heat transfer liquid flowing in at least one pipe, the pipe extending through the thermal insulation at the inner side of the chamber ( 5 ) between the container ( 19 ) and the outside of the chamber ( 5 ), and possibly (ii) an unwanted heat leakage just through the thermal insulation panels ( 12,13 ) at the inner side of the chamber ( 5 ).

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . Equipment ( 1 ) including a container ( 19 ) for the storage of a liquid ( 2 ) as well as thermal insulation panels ( 12 , 13 ), wherein none of the thermal insulation panels ( 12 , 13 ) is mounted directly on or even in contact with an outer surface of the container ( 19 ), wherein a chamber ( 5 ) housing the container ( 19 ) is delimited by an enclosure ( 6 ) consisting of walls ( 7 ), a floor ( 8 ) and a ceiling ( 9 ), and which is accessible through an access opening, either in the form of an entrance opening in one of the walls ( 7 ) closeable by a door or in the form of a manhole ( 11 ) closeable by a lid ( 10 ), wherein an inner surface of the chamber ( 5 ) is entirely covered with the thermal insulation panels ( 12 , 13 ) in such a way that a volume of space occupied by the container ( 19 ) is smaller than a volume of space delimited by the thermal insulation panels ( 12 , 13 ) at the inner side of the walls, the ceiling and the floor, leaving space for maintenance between the outer surface of the container ( 19 ) and the thermal insulation panels ( 12 , 13 ) mounted to the inner surface of the chamber ( 5 ), and wherein the heat exchange between the insulated chamber ( 5 ) and its surrounding is restricted to (i) a heat transfer liquid flowing in at least one pipe, the pipe extending through the thermal insulation at the inner side of the chamber ( 5 ) between the container ( 19 ) and the outside of the chamber ( 5 ), and possibly (ii) an unwanted heat leakage just through the thermal insulation panels ( 12 , 13 ) at the inner side of the chamber ( 5 ). 
     
     
         2 . Equipment ( 1 ) according to  claim 1 , wherein in case of the access opening being closed, there is no air or gas convection between the insulated space within the chamber ( 5 ) and the outside. 
     
     
         3 . Equipment ( 1 ) according to  claim 1 , wherein the container ( 19 ) comprises an inlet ( 25 ) and/or an outlet ( 26 ), which are connected via inlet and/or outlet pipes, which extend through the thermal insulation panels ( 12 , 13 ) at the inner side of the enclosure ( 6 ) of the chamber ( 5 ) between the container ( 19 ) and the outside of the chamber ( 5 ). 
     
     
         4 . Equipment ( 1 ) according  claim 1 , wherein a heating unit for raising the temperature of the liquid ( 2 ) stored inside the container ( 19 ), and/or a cooling device for lowering the temperature of the liquid ( 2 ) stored inside the container ( 19 ) is installed within the container ( 19 ). 
     
     
         5 . Equipment ( 1 ) according to  claim 4 , wherein the heating unit and/or the cooling device is in the form of a heat exchanger installed within the container ( 19 ) and traversed by a heat transfer liquid circulating through the heat exchanger. 
     
     
         6 . Equipment ( 1 ) according to  claim 5 , wherein the heat exchanger inside the container ( 19 ) is in the form of a heat exchange pipe installed within the container ( 19 ) and traversed by the heat transfer liquid circulating through the heat exchange pipe. 
     
     
         7 . Equipment ( 1 ) according to  claim 6 , wherein the heat exchange pipe inside the container ( 19 ) is in the form of a heat exchange coil installed within the container ( 19 ) and traversed by the heat transfer liquid circulating through the heat exchange coil. 
     
     
         8 . Equipment ( 1 ) according to  claim 5 , wherein the heat exchanger is connected via circulating pipes ( 33 , 34 ), which extend through the thermal insulation at the inner side of the enclosure ( 6 ) of the chamber ( 5 ) between the container ( 19 ) and the outside of the chamber ( 5 ). 
     
     
         9 . Equipment ( 1 ) according to  claim 4 , wherein at least one of the heating unit and/or the cooling device is part of a temperature control circuit for regulating the temperature of the liquid ( 2 ) inside the container ( 19 ) to a specified temperature value, or for keeping the temperature within a specified range of permissible temperature values. 
     
     
         10 . Equipment ( 1 ) according to  claim 4 , wherein at least one of the heating unit and/or the cooling device is part of a heat pump or is part of a solar collector heat circulation system, in order to transport thermal energy either into the chamber ( 5 ) and/or into the container ( 19 ), or for discharging the same from there. 
     
     
         11 . Equipment ( 1 ) according to  claim 1 , wherein the container ( 19 ) is not in contact with mineral or organic material, only with the exception of its mounting sites at the floor, walls or ceiling of the chamber ( 5 ). 
     
     
         12 . Equipment ( 1 ) according to  claim 1 , wherein the container ( 19 ) is not in contact with mineral or organic or bulk material, neither inside the container nor outside the container, only with the exception of its mounting sites at the floor, walls or ceiling of the chamber ( 5 ), if applicable. 
     
     
         13 . Equipment ( 1 ) according to  claim 1 , wherein the container ( 19 ) consists only of a single shell, or of a double shell with two shells which are concentric to each other and only have a maximum distance of 5 cm or less, preferably a maximum distance of 2 cm or less, especially a maximum distance of 1 cm or less. 
     
     
         14 . Equipment ( 1 ) according to  claim 13 , wherein the container ( 19 ) consists of a double shell with two shells concentric to each other, where the space between the two shells is only filled with air, preferably with a pressure lower than the atmospheric pressure. 
     
     
         15 . Equipment ( 1 ) according to  claim 1 , wherein the space delimited by the thermal insulation panels ( 12 , 13 ) at the inner side of the enclosure ( 6 ) of the chamber ( 5 ), inside and/or outside of the container ( 19 ), is free of bulk heat storage solids, especially of bulk heat storage solids with a heat storage capacity of 0.7 kJ kg −1  K −1  or more. 
     
     
         16 . Equipment ( 1 ) according to  claim 1 , wherein the height of the chamber ( 5 ) is greater than any horizontal extension of the chamber ( 5 ). 
     
     
         17 . Equipment ( 1 ) according to  claim 1 , wherein the volume of space occupied by the container ( 19 ) is for at least 1.5 m 3  smaller than the volume of space delimited by the thermal insulation panels ( 12 , 13 ) at the inner side of the enclosure ( 6 ) of the chamber ( 5 ), preferably for at least 2 m 3  smaller, especially for at least 2.5 m 3  smaller. 
     
     
         18 . Equipment ( 1 ) according to  claim 1 , wherein the space delimited by the thermal insulation panels ( 12 , 13 ) at the inner side of the enclosure ( 6 ) of the chamber ( 5 ), outside of the container ( 19 ), is smaller than 6 m 3 , preferably smaller than 5 m 3 , especially smaller than 4 m 3 . 
     
     
         19 . Equipment ( 1 ) according to  claim 1 , wherein the inside wall surfaces of the chamber ( 5 ) are provided with planar walls ( 7 ), a planar ceiling ( 9 ) and/or a planar floor ( 8 ). 
     
     
         20 . Equipment ( 1 ) according to  claim 1 , wherein the material of the thermal insulation panels ( 12 , 13 ) comprises foamed polystyrene, or expanded polystyrene (EPS) or extruded polystyrene (XPS). 
     
     
         21 . Equipment ( 1 ) according to  claim 1 , wherein the thermal insulation panels ( 12 , 13 ) comprise vacuum insulation panels, at which an actual insulating solid is completely surrounded by an airtight envelope and evacuated so that thermal conductivity is reduced. 
     
     
         22 . Equipment ( 1 ) according to  claim 1 , wherein the chamber ( 5 ) is placed belowground, or is in the form of a basement room or of a hermetically closed basement compartment, or in the form of a cavity under the ground surface ( 3 ). 
     
     
         23 . Equipment ( 1 ) according to  claim 1 , wherein a ladder ( 18 ) is provided inside the chamber ( 5 ) so that a person can step down inside the chamber ( 5 ). 
     
     
         24 . Equipment ( 1 ) according to  claim 1 , wherein a temperature sensor and/or a leakage sensor and/or a pressure sensor is installed in the chamber ( 5 ) outside of the container.