Abstract

In an underground storage, containing hot or cold storage materials, a circulating gas or fluid is passed in a plurality of conducts in the walls, floor, and ceiling of the storage and near their surface towards the storage, and, if a container or containing vessel is constructed inside the walls of said underground storage, the gas or the fluid is conducted either in the mentioned outer wall as previously mentioned or between the wall of the container and the outer rock walls, particularly in the last mentioned case also in ducts or in galleries with guiding devices for the medium to insure a corresponding contact with surfaces involved, or, in some cases, in the interior of said container wall. By controlling the temperature, humidity, and pressure of said circulating medium and creating a pressure differential towards adjacent areas, the stability and the sealing characteristics of the outer wall are greatly improved, the heat influx to the product storage further substantially reduced, the sublimation of ice brought under improved control with a view to prevent damage to the storage wall insulation.The suggested method, using the envisaged multi-purpose circulating system, also offers further advantages such as a possibility of recovering losses of stored product from leaks and, in addition, increased control and safety, the latter in particular when storing volatile and combustible fluid materials. The design offers an improved method of applying sealants, adding auxiliary products, and removing others from suggested circulating system. New types of sealants are suggested.