Patents by Inventor Laurent Spittael

Laurent Spittael has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11959593
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for detection of a leak from a tank for liquid gas, said tank comprising a membrane surrounding the liquid gas, the membrane being surrounded by an insulation space which separates the membrane from a wall, the insulation space being filled an inert gas which is injected and extracted by at least one duct. The detection method comprises the following steps: determining 921 a first variation of mass of inert gas ?M1 between two moments by measuring the gas added and removed by the duct; calculating 922 a second variation of mass of inert gas ?M2 corresponding to a difference between two masses of inert gas measured in the insulation space; and comparing 931 the first variation with the second variation, and triggering an alarm if a difference E1 between the first variation and the second variation of mass of inert gas is greater than a first threshold S1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Gaztransport Et Technigaz
    Inventors: Bertrand Bugnicourt, Laurent Spittael, Nicolas Dupont, Jean-Yves Le Stang
  • Publication number: 20220049818
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for detection of a leak from a tank for liquid gas, said tank comprising a membrane surrounding the liquid gas, the membrane being surrounded by an insulation space which separates the membrane from a wall, the insulation space being filled an inert gas which is injected and extracted by at least one duct. The detection method comprises the following steps: determining 921 a first variation of mass of inert gas ?M1 between two moments by measuring the gas added and removed by the duct; calculating 922 a second variation of mass of inert gas ?M2 corresponding to a difference between two masses of inert gas measured in the insulation space; and comparing 931 the first variation with the second variation, and triggering an alarm if a difference E1 between the first variation and the second variation of mass of inert gas is greater than a first threshold S1.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2019
    Publication date: February 17, 2022
    Inventors: Bertrand Bugnicourt, Laurent Spittael, Nicolas Dupont, Jean-Yves Le Stang
  • Publication number: 20220034453
    Abstract: A method for checking the sealing of a sealed tank for storing a liquefied gas at low temperature, the tank having an inner hull and a secondary sealing membrane, a secondary space that is arranged between the inner hull and the secondary sealing membrane, a primary sealing membrane and a primary space that is arranged between the primary sealing membrane and the secondary sealing membrane is disclosed. The method has the following main steps: generating a pressure lower than the pressure of the primary space in the secondary space using a suction device, measuring the temperature of an outer surface of the inner hull, and detecting the location of a sealing defect of the secondary sealing membrane in the form of a cold spot on the outer surface of the inner hull.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Publication date: February 3, 2022
    Inventors: Maxime CHAMPAGNAC, Pierre JOLIV, Mathieu PETITPAS, Mael BLEOMEL, Damlen BRENAC, Laurent SPITTAEL, Vincent BRIATTE, Julien GLORY
  • Patent number: 10012350
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for treating and feeding natural gas from a tank for storing liquefied gas storage to an apparatus for generating power, and to a burner of an apparatus for generating power in a ship, said method comprising the following consecutive steps: supplying power to the apparatus for generating power, during which step natural gas is fed through a phase separator that returns a heavy fraction of the natural gas containing the hydrocarbons having the longest carbon chains to the tank as condensate and feeding a light fraction of the natural gas containing the hydrocarbons having the shortest carbon chains to the apparatus for generating power; and then recovering the heavy fraction of the natural gas, during which step natural gas is carried from the tank to the burner, bypassing said phase separator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: GAZTRANSPORT ET TECHNIGAZ
    Inventors: Pierre Le Bruchec, Anaïs Denier-Guenegou, Loïc Guernec, Laurent Spittael, David Beauvais, Jérôme Huchet, Abdoulaye Diouf
  • Patent number: 9625095
    Abstract: A sealed and insulating reservoir contains a pressurized cold fluid in a rigid, sealed enclosure. A fluidtight membrane is positioned to contact the cold fluid contained in the reservoir. An insulating barrier is placed between the fluidtight membrane and the internal surface of the rigid enclosure, with the insulating barrier forming a support surface to support the fluidtight membrane. A pressure balancing device is able to limit the pressure difference between a first sealed volume located inside the fluidtight membrane, and a second sealed volume located outside the fluidtight membrane. The pressure balancing device typically includes a fluid circuit having two chambers sealingly separated by a movable separator. The first chamber is linked to the first sealed volume, and the second chamber is linked to the second sealed volume. The movable separator exerts a loading force in the direction of the second chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: GAZTRANSPORT ET TECHNIGAZ
    Inventors: Laurent Spittael, Bruno Deletre, David Lafare, Pierre Jolivet, David Hassler, Amaury Mange, Benoît Capitaine, Ali Abdallah
  • Publication number: 20160178128
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for treating and feeding natural gas from a tank for storing liquefied gas storage to an apparatus for generating power, and to a burner of an apparatus for generating power in a ship, said method comprising the following consecutive steps: supplying power to the apparatus for generating power, during which step natural gas is fed through a phase separator that returns a heavy fraction of the natural gas containing the hydrocarbons having the longest carbon chains to the tank as condensate and feeding a light fraction of the natural gas containing the hydrocarbons having the shortest carbon chains to the apparatus for generating power; and then recovering the heavy fraction of the natural gas, during which step natural gas is carried from the tank to the burner, bypassing said phase separator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2014
    Publication date: June 23, 2016
    Applicant: GAZTRANSPORT ET TECHNIGAZ
    Inventors: Pierre LE BRUCHEC, Anais DENIER-GUENEGOU, Loïc GUERNEC, Laurent SPITTAEL, David BEAUVAIS, Jerome HUCHET, Abdoulaye DIOUF
  • Publication number: 20150292678
    Abstract: A sealed and insulating reservoir contains a pressurized cold fluid in a rigid, sealed enclosure. A fluidtight membrane is positioned to contact the cold fluid contained in the reservoir. An insulating barrier is placed between the fluidtight membrane and the internal surface of the rigid enclosure, with the insulating barrier forming a support surface to support the fluidtight membrane. A pressure balancing device is able to limit the pressure difference between a first sealed volume located inside the fluidtight membrane, and a second sealed volume located outside the fluidtight membrane. The pressure balancing device typically includes a fluid circuit having two chambers sealingly separated by a movable separator. The first chamber is linked to the first sealed volume, and the second chamber is linked to the second sealed volume. The movable separator exerts a loading force in the direction of the second chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2013
    Publication date: October 15, 2015
    Applicant: GAZTRANSPORT ET TECHNIGAZ
    Inventors: Laurent Spittael, Bruno Deletre, David Lafare, Pierre Jolivet, David Hassler, Amaury Mange, Benoît Capitaine, Ali Abdallah
  • Patent number: 7950374
    Abstract: A device for supplying fuel from an onboard energy producing installation on a ship transporting liquefied gas from at least one tank (2) of liquefied gas of said ship, comprising a pump (20) arranged in the bottom of the tank and a reservoir (23) arranged in the tank around the pump and designed to maintain a suction of the pump in a submerged state, characterized in that it comprises a liquid ejector (12) arranged in the tank so as to be able to suction the liquefied gas at the bottom of the tank, and a liquid circuit (21, 22, 24, 250) connecting an outlet of the pump to an inlet of the ejector, on one hand, and an outlet of the ejector to the reservoir, on the other hand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: Gaztransport et Technigaz
    Inventors: Laurent Spittael, Camille Hypousteguy, Yann Xitra
  • Patent number: 7584623
    Abstract: A device for supplying fuel to an onboard energy production installation (5) on a liquefied gas transport ship (1) from at least one liquefied gas tank (2) of the ship includes a liquid ejector (12) arranged in the tank in order to suck liquefied gas at the level of the bottom of the tank, a circulating pump (20) arranged above the tank, a liquid circuit (21, 22, 23, 24) connecting an outlet of the circulating pump to an inlet of the liquid ejector and an outlet of the liquid ejector to an inlet of the circulating pump to permit the closed-loop circulation of a stream of liquefied gas through the liquid ejector, and a feed line (28) connecting the liquid circuit to the energy production installation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2009
    Assignee: Gaztransport et Technigaz
    Inventors: Laurent Spittael, Pascal Raynaud, Jacques Dhellemmes
  • Publication number: 20090199909
    Abstract: A device for supplying fuel from an onboard energy producing installation on a ship transporting liquefied gas from at least one tank (2) of liquefied gas of said ship, comprising a pump (20) arranged in the bottom of the tank and a reservoir (23) arranged in the tank around the pump and designed to maintain a suction of the pump in a submerged state, characterized in that it comprises a liquid ejector (12) arranged in the tank so as to be able to suction the liquefied gas at the bottom of the tank, and a liquid circuit (21, 22, 24, 250) connecting an outlet of the pump to an inlet of the ejector, on one hand, and an outlet of the ejector to the reservoir, on the other hand.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2009
    Publication date: August 13, 2009
    Applicant: GAZTRANSPORT ET TECHNIGAZ
    Inventors: Laurent SPITTAEL, Camille HYPOUSTEGUY, Yann XITRA
  • Publication number: 20060086412
    Abstract: A device for supplying fuel to an onboard energy production installation (5) on a liquefied gas transport ship (1) from at least one liquefied gas tank (2) of the ship includes a liquid ejector (12) arranged in the tank in order to suck liquefied gas at the level of the bottom of the tank, a circulating pump (20) arranged above the tank, a liquid circuit (21, 22, 23, 24) connecting an outlet of the circulating pump to an inlet of the liquid ejector and an outlet of the liquid ejector to an inlet of the circulating pump to permit the closed-loop circulation of a stream of liquefied gas through the liquid ejector, and a feed line (28) connecting the liquid circuit to the energy production installation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2005
    Publication date: April 27, 2006
    Applicant: GAZ TRANSPORT ET TECHNIGAZ
    Inventors: Laurent Spittael, Pascal Raynaud, Jacques Dhellemmes