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lesson 3

The document discusses the structural design of tankers, categorizing them into single hull and double hull types, with regulations mandating double hulls for larger vessels to reduce environmental risks. It details the operational systems unique to oil and chemical tankers, including cargo heating, venting, and fire-fighting systems, emphasizing safety and compatibility with various cargoes. Additionally, it highlights the maintenance challenges and stability differences between single and double hull designs.

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2 views2 pages

lesson 3

The document discusses the structural design of tankers, categorizing them into single hull and double hull types, with regulations mandating double hulls for larger vessels to reduce environmental risks. It details the operational systems unique to oil and chemical tankers, including cargo heating, venting, and fire-fighting systems, emphasizing safety and compatibility with various cargoes. Additionally, it highlights the maintenance challenges and stability differences between single and double hull designs.

Uploaded by

dimatsura2004
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Lesson 3 Types of Tankers: Structural Design

As per the construction of hull, the tankers can be divided into 2 categories. However, the IMO has
introduced regulation 13 F in Annex 1 of MARPOL, which mandates all the newly built tankers of
5000 DWT or more to have a double hull.

Single hull tankers have only one outer layer, which is watertight, and this layer runs throughout the
structure of the vessel. This construction of the vessel has a greater threat to the marine environment.
Double hull tankers are ships with double layers of the watertight hull surface. The inner and outer
layers of the hull are on the bottom as well as the sides of the tanker ships. The double-layer
construction helps in reducing the risks of marine pollution during a collision, grounding, and any
other form of ship’s hull damage. It also saves the ship from water ingress or flooding if the outer
layer fails. In double-hull tankers, the space between the two layers is used as ballast tanks for
ensuring the ship’s stability.

The ballast tank spaces extend for the full length of the cargo carrying area, providing an extensive
safety measure. Single hull tankers do not have such ballast spaces. In comparison to single hull
design, double hull design is said to have less stability as it raises the centre of gravity and reduces
the meta-centric height of the ship. Moreover, there is a risk of loss of stability because of free
surface effects cargo and ballast tanks. Single hull ships are considered more stable as compared to
double hull tankers. Corrosion is considered one of the main reasons for the failure of hull structures
in tankers. In double hull tankers, the surface area of the tanks is more than that of single hull tanks.
Thus, they require more maintenance during the operating life. As compared to the ballast tanks of
single hull ships, those of the double bottom tanks are easily accessible because of their increased
height and width.

Tanker ships with single hull design often faced problems of leakage of ballast water into cargo from
ballast water pipes passing through cargo tanks. This problem also increased the risks of pollution
during ballasting and de-ballasting from single hull tankers as leaking pipes passing through cargo
tanks can contaminate the clean ballast water. The double hull design removed this problem with
different piping systems passing through only the respective tanks.

OIL TANKERS’ SYSTEMS


Oil tankers have a number of systems that are unique to its operation. Ships carrying
crude oil are equipped with cargo oil heating system, as crude oil is heavy and
becomes very sluggish and thick in cold environments, which can block the pumps and
pipelines during discharge. So, cargo oil heating system is used to maintain the
suitable temperatures and viscosity of cargo oil in holds. The vapours from oil cargoes
are highly inflammable and are not allowed to accumulate in the cargo tanks. Cargo
tank venting system allows the vapours to escape from enclosed spaces.
Overflow control system uses a level and pressure cascade control to ensure that the
level of oil in the tank does not exceed the design head. High-level alarms and spill
valves are connected to the system in order to take correct action in case of anomaly.
The space between the free surface of the cargo oil and the top plating of the tank is
to be kept inert, in order to prevent access of oxygen, so that even in case of any
accumulation of oil vapour, a situation of fire is avoided. This is done by continuous
supply and regulation of inert gas in cargo oil tanks by inert gas system. The most
common gases used for this purpose are Argon and Carbon-dioxide.
The fire-fighting systems on board an oil tanker is the most vital for the ship’s
safety, and is designed as per the MARPOL rules. Fire hoses, extinguishers and
sprinklers are distributed along the ship’s length and breadth for access to all points.

CHEMICAL TANKERS’ SYSTEMS


Chemical tankers are cargo ships constructed or adapted and used for the carriage of
any liquid chemicals in bulk. Chemical tankers are required to comply with the various
safety aspects detailed in Part B of SOLAS Chapter VIII, but are additionally required
to comply with the mandatory International Bulk Chemical Code (IBC Code). The
problem of compatibility of each cargo with the materials used in the construction of
the ship and its equipment is significant. Many cargoes are required by the Code to be
carried in a controlled inert atmosphere, either because of their flammability, toxicity
or to prevent oxygen from adversely affecting the quality of the cargo. Bottled
nitrogen is normally supplied to the ship for this purpose; however, many of the more
sophisticated ships have a nitrogen generating plant installed on board. Tanks are also
required to be provided with venting systems to relieve the pressure and prevent the
formation of vacuum. A tank overflow prevention system comes into operation when
the normal operational procedures fail to stop the tank liquid level exceeding the
normal full condition. The activation point is usually set at 98% of tank capacity.
Cargo tank deck foam and firemain systems are required for fighting fires in the
cargo tanks or as a result of cargo spillage. The foam compound used must be
compatible with the majority of cargoes carried on the ship and an alcohol-resistant
foam compound is normally supplied. When cargoes are carried for which foam or
water is unsuitable, an alternative fire extinguishing system using a medium such as
dry powder must be supplied. Most modern chemical tankers do not have a dedicated
cargo pump room, and normally fit a deepwell cargo pump directly into each cargo
tank. Each pump has its own dedicated piping system and cargo discharge manifold.
The main advantage of this system is that it enables a large number of different
cargoes to be discharged or loaded without the need for time-consuming pipe flushing
between each cargo. The cargo piping is required to be constructed of a material
compatible with the cargoes carried.

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