Cargo tank

Atmosphere
A tank is an enclosed space
which is sealed and may not
have any ventilation.
As a result, there is a
accumulation of gases which
can be dangerous and
harmful to humans.
 What do we
FEAR MOST
when we speak about
Cargo Tank
atmospheres ?
 There are Different types
of Tankers.
Such as:

 Crude Oil Tankers

 Product Tankers
 Chemical Tankers
 LNG
 LPG
 Bitumen Tankers
 Fruit Juice Tankers (stainless steel tanks)
 Wine Tankers (stainless steel tanks)
BUT, we are speaking about our vessels :
Crude Oil & Product Tankers
 Hazards associated with tank atmosphere

Fire Hazard Health Hazard

Contributing Factors: Contributing Factors:

 Oxygen  Oxygen Deficiency
 Flammable Vapors  Hydro carbon Gas
 External / Internal Spark  Toxic Gases
 Pyrophoric Reaction
Or simply said

A potential source of ignition hazard on oil tankers

What is this ? It is a rapid exothermic oxidation with

Incandescence.

• In an inerted atmosphere, the Hydrogen

Sulphide reacts with Iron Oxide (rust) and
forms Iron Sulphide.
How it is formed ?
• When a tank is exposed to air,the Iron
Sulphide is oxidized back to Iron Oxide This
oxidation is accompanied by generation of
considerable heat so that individual particles
may be incandescent.

Prevention ? All cargo operation is carried in controlled

inerted condition.
Contents of a Cargo Oil Tank atmosphere in a
Petroleum tanker
Vapor + Gas
mixture

Ignition
Oxygen Hazard- Static
Electricity
 Fire hazards can be best explained by a
Fire Tetrahedron

It describes the four different factors

required for ignition of a fire.
Essentially all four elements must be
present at the same time for a fire to
occur. Removal of any one of these
essential elements will result in the fire
being extinguished :

1. Air (Oxygen)
2. Heat ( Internal / External Spark)
3. Fuel (Cargo vapours)
4. Chain Reaction

The Inert Gas is introduced into a

tank to remove the Oxygen side of
the tetrahedron by reducing the
Oxygen content below required
percentage for combustion.
 Introduction of IG in the tank

In absence of any
one side of the
original Fire
Tetrahedron , the Chemical
Chain
risk of a fire is non- Reaction

existent. NO FIRE

No Fire can take Place even in the presence of Heat or Fuel

because there is not enough oxygen to support it

Safe atmosphere in tank

 The Flammability diagram
Inerted Atmosphere-
Oxygen less than 8%
Consider a point representing
typical condition of tank
atmosphere in a inerted
15
condition

What happens when

Hydrocarbons Gas-Percentage by volume

F
cargo oil tank SafeUnsafe
Atmosphere
10
atmosphere is diluted passing well
atmosphere
with air or when air is below the critical
introduced for gas dilution line
free condition. Flammable
5

G Mixture

5 10 15 20 21
Purged Atmosphere- Oxygen-Percentage by volume
Hydrocarbons less than
2% by voulme & oxygen-
less than 8%
 Controlling Fire Hazard in Cargo Oil Tank

What is the percentage of

oxygen required to sustain More than 11 %
combustion ?

What percentage of By law less than 8 %.

oxygen are we required to (Some ports require a
maintain in the cargo vessel to maintain less
than 5 %.)
tanks ?

A Cargo tank is considered “Inerted” when the oxygen content in

the tank is less than 8 % by volume
 Health Hazards
Hazards inside the tank
 Oxygen deficiency. (Minimum 20.8% required for man entry)
 Contact with Body parts
 Inhalation and Ingestion
 Risk of slip / trip/ fall due to cargo cling age in the access areas of
tanks.

Hazards outside the tank

 Release of tank atmosphere content during key cargo operations.
 Accidental release by negligence or mechanical faults.
 Accumulation due to still air conditions.

Beware!!

Hidden risk :The risk of exposure to Health is not only inside a tank but that
same atmosphere may also be present on the open deck areas.
 On a oil tanker the cargo oil tank atmosphere changes as per
various operations the ship is performing.

These includes the Key Cargo Operations such as:

 Discharging
 Tank Cleaning
 Purging
 Gas Freeing
 Inerting
 Loading

When performing these key cargo operations safely

The most important concern is to have a safe & controlled
cargo tank atmosphere.
 General Policy of Cargo tank atmosphere control

Tankers fitted with an inert gas system should maintain their cargo
tanks in a non-flammable condition at all times.
It follows that:
 Tanks are kept inerted when they contain cargo /cargo residue
 The atmosphere within the tank should make the transition from
inert condition to gas-free condition without passing through
flammable condition.
 In practice before any tank is gas freed, it would be purged with
inert gas until the hydrocarbon content of the tank atmosphere is
below the critical dilution line.
 When a ship is in a gas-free condition before arrival at a loading
port, tanks should be re-inerted prior to loading.
 Venting system for a cargo oil tank

Pressure side
Gas outlet
Gas Free Cover

Vaccum side

Primary Venting System Secondary Venting System

Mast Riser High Velocity Pressure
Vacuum valve
 Discharging Operation
Shore Hose / Arm
Tank atmosphere is
Manifold
Deck Discharge controlled with use
line of IG

Pressure
From Inert Gas System Vacuum
valve
Pump room Empty cargo tank
Ullage
This increase in ullage space is filled space
with Inert gas, so that there is no
vacuum and no ingress of air in tank
Discharge line

Drop of level & Cargo

increase of ullage in the
space. tank

Cargo Oil Tank

Suction bell
Cargo oil Pump mouth
Suction line
 Tank Cleaning Operation

Manifold

Deck Discharge
line

Pressure
From Inert Gas System Vacuum
valve

IG introduced to
Pump maintain safe Generation
of static
Discharge line room atmosphere electricity
due water
droplets

Unsafe
Wash water in
slop tank Cargo Atmosphere
Oil Tank

Cargo oil Pump Suction line Main Suction Stripping line to Stripping Stripping Suction bell
bell mouth pump or Eductor mouth
 After tank cleaning there are 3 operations which involve replacement of gas
in cargo tanks.

Namely:
 Purging (For reducing the hydrocarbon /H2S content )
 Gas-freeing (For man-entry).
 Inerting (For preparation before arrival load Port)
And there are 2 principal means of Gas Replacement for above
operations, these are :
 Dilution , which is a mixing process
 Displacement, which is layering process
 Dilution method
Inert gas or
fresh air
PV valve gas free
cover kept open
for venting.

Dilution theory assumes Incoming

inert gas / air, mixes with the
original gas mixture in tank to
form a homogenous mixture
Completion of gas
throughout the tank,
replacement
In result concentration of original
gas decreases gradually.

Important!!!
For complete replacement the entry velocity of incoming
gas should be high enough for the jet to reach the bottom
of tank.
Inert gas or
fresh air Displacement method
Purge Pipe
kept open
for venting.

For ideal replacement a stable

horizontal interface should be
formed between the lighter gas
Completion of gas entering at the top of tank and
replacement heavier gas being displayed from
the bottom of tank through some
suitable pipping arrangment.
In result the tank atmosphere is
changed gradually.

Important!!!
For complete replacement a relativley low entry velocity of
gas is required. In practice more than one volume change
is necessary
Several arrangements are put in use on board tanker,
when using dilution or displacement method.
One feature which is common to all is that the inlet
and outlet points should be so located that efficient
gas replacement can take place through out the tank.
There are three principal arrangement:

Inlet Point Outlet point Principle

1. Top Top Dilution
2. Bottom Top Dilution
3. Top Bottom Displacement
or dilution
 Displacement /Dilution method-using
bottom cargo lines from one tank to
other tank
Inert gas or
fresh air from
top PV valve gas free
PV Valve on auto
cover kept open
mode.
for venting from
top

Completion of gas Completion of gas

replacement by replacement by
displacement dilution

Cargo Bottom line

 Dilution method-using bottom cargo
lines from IG line to tank
Gas free cover on
Inert gas or PV Valve for
fresh air venting from top

Completion of gas
Inlet of gas
into tank
replacement
from bottom
Gas Freeing blowers

Used for
 Gas freeing purposes
 Continuous ventilation
during the duration of
man entry in cargo oil
tank
Butterworth holes for
cargo oil tank

Main deck

Ventilation ducts
 Loading Operation
Shore Hose / Arm

Manifold

Deck Cargo line Mast

Riser
IG line
Pressure
Vacuum
From pump room
valve

Venting done through the

Mast Riser connected to IG Ullage
line space

Drop line Increase of level,

& reduction in
ullage space. Cargo
Increase oftankin the
tank
Cargo
pressure,as
loading is done in
Oil Tank
closed ullaging
system to control
the safe
atmosphere
Bell mouth
in
Suction line tank
 Portable Gas Detectors on board
For a safe and effective control of tank atmosphere, it is
important to know and understand the tank content at all stages
of operations.
There a various equipments available on board for the detecting
the contents in a cargo oil tank.
Some of these are:
 Portable Oxygen Meter (To check oxygen content)
 Explosimeter or Combustible Gas Indicator (To measure
hydrocarbon content in a gas free condition)
 Tankscope (To measure hydrocarbon content in a inerted
condition)
 Multi-Gas meters (Basically used to check oxygen,
hdrocarbon and any one toxic gas for a gas free tank).
 Gas detector tubes (To measure other toxic gases such
as; ammonia, benzene, carbon monoxifr,mercaptans.)
 Portable Gas Detectors on board

Oxygen meter Hydro carbon detector

Multi
gas
Monitor Gas Detector Tubes
Thank you