Patent ID: 9321588
Filing Date: 2016-04-26
CPC Classification: B65D,F17C

Claim Text:
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 to form a six-sided storage tank, with each of the six sides of the storage tank defined by four successive of the plurality of rigid tubular walls connected end-to-end, such that interconnected interiors of the plurality of rigid tubular walls define an interior fluid storage chamber; and an exterior support structure, the exterior support structure including a plurality of lattice structures formed of rigidly interconnected vertical and horizontal braces; wherein the horizontal braces decrease in load bearing capacity from a bottom of the storage tank to a top of the storage tank; wherein each lattice structure extends between outer exteriors of at least three of the four successive rigid tubular walls on one of the sides of the storage tank, wherein the plurality of lattice structures are adapted to reinforce the storage tank against dynamic loading from fluid in the interior fluid storage chamber.