Tank
Vessels
TANKERS
Tankers move large bulk
petroleum cargo with speed and safety. Petroleum base terminals should be able
to receive tankers that are at least 600 feet long with a draft of 35 feet.
Tankers and their equipment are described below.
Cargo
Space
Most of a tanker hull
is used to carry liquid cargo. Cargo space varies among different types of
tankers. Cargo space is divided into tank compartments by bulkheads which run
the length and width of the tanker. The tank compartment is usually separated
from fore and aft sections of the tanker by narrow, empty, liquid-tight
compartments called cofferdams. Each tank compartment has a hatch and liquid-tight
hatch cover. An-ullage sounding hole with a hinged cover is usually in each
hatch cover. Tank compartments may have heating coils for heating cargo of
heavy oil to viscosities suitable for pumping.
Vent
Lines
Vent lines are usually
between each tank and hatch. At the hatch, the vent lines connect to headers.
The headers extend up the masts and have flame arresters at the top. Vapors
caused by agitation or high temperature of product are vented through these
lines. Each vent line is fitted with a vacuum relief valve. When vapors
condense in the tank because of low temperature, the relief valve permits
intake of air to relieve any vacuum created.
Pipeline
and Pumping Systems
A complex cargo line
system controls product flow during loading and discharging and while the
vessel is under way. Tank farm pumps or booster pumps are normally used to load
tankers. Tankers usually have cargo pumps for pumping cargo ashore through the
pipeline. Some tankers also have stripping systems used to strip the tanks dry
of ballast.
Fire-Fighting
Equipment
Tanker fire-fighting
equipment for the deck includes fire hoses, axes, buckets, and hand fire
extinguishers. There may be a carbon dioxide fire extinguisher system for
protecting fireroom bilges and electrical machinery. Most tankers also have a
steam smothering system that can be used to fight fires. The main line of this
system connects to the ship's auxiliary steam line through the master valve in
the boiler room. It runs forward along the deck with a branch for each fuel and
cargo tank and cofferdam. Branch lines also run to the forward holds, the pump
room, and other areas.
LIQUID-CARGO
BARGES
Military liquid-cargo
barges are steel watercraft. They move bulk petroleum products. Some are made
for short distance hauls in harbor, coastal, or inland waters. Others are made
for self delivery to an overseas destination and are self-sustaining for
extended periods of operation. Barges have no propelling machinery; therefore,
they require the services of a tug to move. A small tug is used for harbors and
inland waterways while a large tug is used for coastal and intertheater
missions.
Pumps
and Piping Systems
Some barges require
off-vessel equipment for discharging cargo, while other have their own
equipment. Self-discharging vessels generally use electrically powered rotary
pumps. The pumps are usually below the deck in the aft section or midship
section. As a fire precaution, the pump room is completely insulated from the
cargo and its gases. The piping systems on barges vary widely. There may be
several pipelines, depending on the number of products carried. Vessels
carrying light oils usually have pipelines with bellmouthed fittings. These
fittings extend almost to the tank bottom. A stripper line, extending until it
is almost flush with the tank bottom, is used to pump any oil left at the
bottom of the tank. Vessels carrying heavy fuel oils and asphalts are usually
equipped with 12- to 16-inch pumps and suitable pipelines.
Types
of Barges
The military has
225-barrel-capacity and 4,160-barrel-capacity steel hull barges in its
inventory. They are described below.
The
225-barrel Steel Barge
The barge (Figure 4-6) can carry limited quantities
of liquid (225 barrels) or dry cargo (21 long tons) about harbors or inland
waterways. Although this barge can carry limited quantities of liquid cargo, it
does not have integral liquid-cargo pumps. It has an overall length of 45 feet
6 inches, an 18-foot 6-inch beam, and a molded depth of 3 feet. It has a
displacement of 33 long tons loaded and a maximum draft of 1 foot 8 inches
loaded. This barge consists of two sections joined end-to-end. The military has
limited quantities of this barge remaining in its inventory. It is not
considered a bulk transporter because of the limited capacity and the lack of
integral pumping capability.
Figure
4-6. Steel barge with a 225-barrel or 21-ton capacity
The
4,160-Barrel Steel Barge
This barge (Figure 4-7) can carry 4,160 barrels of
bulk liquid cargo or 578 long tons of dry cargo. The barge has an overall
length of 120 feet, a 33-foot beam, and a molded depth of 10 feet 6 inches. It
has an integral diesel-engine driven, liquid-cargo pump to receive and
discharge liquid cargo.
Figure
4-7. Steel barge with a 4,160-barrel or 578-ton capacity
Uses
Sometimes tank barges
are used for temporary storage of bulk petroleum products. However, the main
uses for barges include the following:
§
Delivering fuel to and from shore
terminals and moored oceangoing vessels which are limited by the depth of
water.
§
Topping off partially loaded ocean
tankers when docking the tanker would be too expensive or impossible because of
the tide, wind, or depth of water.
§
Delivering bulk shipments of
gasoline and lubricating oils in refueling operations at harbors and on rivers.
§
Removing oil sludge from the tanks
of tankers and delivering it to shore tanks.
§
Moving petroleum products when it
is cheaper to do so by water than by tank car.
Fire-Fighting
Equipment
Fire-fighting equipment
for the deck includes fire hoses, axes, buckets, and hand fire extinguishers.
Most vessels have fire pumps and carbon dioxide for fires below deck. Pressure
and flow are controlled by a master valve. In case of fire, carbon dioxide is
fed into the cargo tank to smother the flames. Some modern vessels have an
inert gas system fitted to the liquid-cargo tanks. This system provides a
positive gas pressure to the cargo tank. The gas is so deficient in oxygen that
it renders the atmosphere in the liquid cargo tanks incapable of supporting
combustion.
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