EP0063191A1 - Spill overflow prevention system for tanker vessels - Google Patents
Spill overflow prevention system for tanker vessels Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- EP0063191A1 EP0063191A1 EP81301781A EP81301781A EP0063191A1 EP 0063191 A1 EP0063191 A1 EP 0063191A1 EP 81301781 A EP81301781 A EP 81301781A EP 81301781 A EP81301781 A EP 81301781A EP 0063191 A1 EP0063191 A1 EP 0063191A1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- vessel
- trunk line
- petroleum products
- cargo
- compartments
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Granted
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Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
- B63B—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING
- B63B25/00—Load-accommodating arrangements, e.g. stowing, trimming; Vessels characterised thereby
- B63B25/02—Load-accommodating arrangements, e.g. stowing, trimming; Vessels characterised thereby for bulk goods
- B63B25/08—Load-accommodating arrangements, e.g. stowing, trimming; Vessels characterised thereby for bulk goods fluid
- B63B25/10—Load-accommodating arrangements, e.g. stowing, trimming; Vessels characterised thereby for bulk goods fluid open to ambient air
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
- B63J—AUXILIARIES ON VESSELS
- B63J2/00—Arrangements of ventilation, heating, cooling, or air-conditioning
- B63J2/02—Ventilation; Air-conditioning
- B63J2/08—Ventilation; Air-conditioning of holds
Abstract
Description
- The present invention relates to an automatic system for preventing external cargo spillage from tanker vessels resulting from the overflow of cargo from the cargo compartments of the vessel during loading thereof.
- Presently, cargo comprising fluid chemical and petroleum products, such as, for example, oil, is loaded into tanker vessels by means of transfer hoses and cargo pipelines which are coupled to inlets communicative with the cargo compartments of the vessel. It sometimes occurs during loading or transfer of cargo that the fluid and chemical products continue to flow after the compartments are full. As a result, cargo overflows through ullage openings, gas vents or other deck apertures communicative with the compartments, over the deck of the vessel and into the water, thereby causing a spill and producing water contamination, atmospheric pollution, as well as a fire and explosion hazard.
- Cargo spills are the result of a variety of causes. One, for example, is negligence on the part of personnel in charge of loading the cargo compartments of the vessel. Another is a faulty loading valve, for example, a leaky valve or a foreign substance wedged under the valve gate. Others are a leaking line under pressure within the cargo compartments; an increase, without notice, of the vessel loading rate; and a broken valve reach rod or other control segment during closing of an inlet valve after a cargo compartment has been filled. Such cargo overflows can cause significant pollution of coastal waterways, particularly when the cargo being loaded is crude oil. For example, depending upon the size of the vessel and the flow rate of the cargo during loading and the duration of the overflow before it is discovered, anywhere from several barrels to several thousand barrels of oil may be lost from a single cargo spill caused by an overflow.
- Cargo tank overfill control systems have been devised to prevent overflows from cargo compartments of a tanker vessel during loading. High level alarms and continuous tank cargo level indicators, for example, are used to monitor cargo tank levels in a vessel during loading. While such devices are helpful, they are subject to malfunctions, are dependent on human monitors, and do not automatically prevent pollution, and these characteristics make such devices unacceptable for vessels carrying cargoes such as crude oil having the potential of creating serious environmental pollution in coastal waterways and ports in the event of spillage from the vessel caused by an overflow during loading. Remotely-actuated, quick- closing shut off valves have been used in such vessels to help reduce overflows but it has been found that such valves can create excessive surge pressures in the cargo transfer hoses and pipelines used to load the vessel which are great enough to rupture the hoses and line thereby resulting in the spillage of cargo. Such valves are, moreover, still dependent on human attention for effective operation.
- It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an automatic spill overflow prevention system for tanker vessels which overcomes the aforementioned disadvantages of prior tank fill indicators and overflow handling systems and automatically prevents the spillage of fluid chemical and petroleum products during loading operations or cargo transfer operations in the vessel without the danger of causing a rupture of the hoses and pipelines used to load the vessel or the bulkheads of the vessel.
- It is also an object of the present invention to provide an improved spill overflow prevention system for tanker vessels which will reduce the pollution of the natural environment, particularly the pollution-of coastal and intercoastal waterway areas and ports.
- These and other objects of the invention are achieved in a tanker vessel for the transportation of fluid chemical and petroleum products in water. The vessel includes a hull comprising a bottom and sides, a top deck, a plurality of watertight cargo compartments disposed within the hull between the top deck and the hull bottom for receiving the fluid chemical and petroleum products, and means coupled to the cargo compartments for filling the compartments with the fluid chemical and petroleum products. The improvement of the invention comprises longitudinally disposed trunk line means, branch line means coupled at one end to the trunk line means and at the other end to the cargo compartments, valve means coupled to the branch line means intermediate the ends thereof for permitting the free flow of fluid chemical and petroleum products from the cargo compartments to the trunk line means through the branch line means, the branch line means being dimensioned so as to prevent overpressurization of the cargo compartments during the flow of fluid chemical and petroleum products from the compartments to the trunk line means, and retention tank means disposed in the vessel and coupled to the trunk line means for receiving fluid chemical and petroleum products from the trunk line means. Fluid chemical and petroleum products overflowing from the cargo compartments during filling thereof are directed from the cargo compartments through the branch line means and the trunk line means to the retention tank means thereby preventing the spillage of the fluid chemical and petroleum products externally of the cargo compartments.
- The improved spill overflow system of the present invention will significantly reduce safety hazards, cargo loss, and the pollution of coastal waterways and ports caused by tank overflows during loading operations, transfers, discharge or cargo expansion in a tanker vessel. This is achieved by utilizing a retention tank, specifically one or more empty tanks, such as a cofferdam, void space or ballast tank or other suitable vessel space, as a plenum, and directing any overflows from the cargo compartments into such a retention tank.
- These and other novel features and advantages of the present invention will be described in greater detail in the following detailed description.
- In the drawings, wherein similar reference numerals denote similar elements throughout the several views thereof:
- FIGURE 1 is a perspective view, partially in cross-section, of a tanker vessel incorporating an improved spill overflow prevention system constructed according to the present invention;
- FIGURE 2 is a partial, cross-sectional view of the improved spill overflow prevention system illustrated in FIGURE 1 showing the construction of the trunk line, branch line and control valve of the system; and
- FIGURE 3 is a partial, cross-sectional view of the improved spill overflow prevention system illustrated in FIGURE 1 showing the construction of the retention tank.
- Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a tanker vessel generally identified by the reference numeral 10 which includes a hull comprising a bottom 11 and
sides 12, a top ormain deck 13, and a plurality ofwatertight cargo compartments 14. The cargo compartments are disposed within the hull betweentop deck 13 and hull bottom 11 for receiving cargo comprising fluid chemical and petroleum products, for example, crude oil, from aland storage tank 15.Cargo expansion trunks 16 are coupled to and open downwardly into each ofcargo compartments 14. Acargo pipeline 17 is coupled to each of thecargo compartments 14 for filling the compartments with cargo fromland storage tank 15. - Vessel 10 includes a
longitudinal trunk line 18, which can be disposed either above or belowtop deck 13, and a plurality ofbranch lines 19 which are coupled example, hydrocarbon gases and the like to escape from the trunk line into theretention tank 21. A plurality of apertures may also be disposed about the periphery of opening 23 to permit gases to escape intoretention tank 21. The retention tank is provided with anexhaust vent 24 which includes aflame screen 25 and a pressure/vacuum relief valve 26 for venting gases from the retention tank to the atmosphere. Gases are vented from thecargo compartments 14 to the atmosphere during filling of the compartments throughtrunk line 18 andbranch lines 19 toretention tank 21. A plurality ofbypass lines 27 are coupled tobranch lines 19 intermediate the ends thereof and in parallel relationship therewith, each including a pressure/vacuum relief valve 28, which preferably comprises a closed type pressure/vacuum relief valve, coupled to the bypass line intermediate its ends, for venting gases fromcargo compartments 14 toretention tank 21 throughtrunk line 18 andbranch lines 19 whenvalves 20 are positive type closure valves and are closed, i.e., during all operations on the vessel except when filling an cargo compartments or transferring cargo between the compartments. Whenvalves 20 comprise non-return clapper valves, thebypass lines 27 andvalves 28 permit vacuum relief in thecargo compartments 14. It should be noted that thebypass lines 27 are not required if the vessel is at one end totrunk line 18 and at the other-end tocargo expansion trunks 16. A plurality ofvalves 20, which may comprise either non-return clapper valves, weighted or spring-controlled to produce the required back pressure for vapor venting, or positive type closure valves, the latter preferably being butterfly-type valves, are coupled to thebranch lines 19 intermediate the ends thereof for permitting the free flow of fluid chemical and petroleum products, i.e., the liquid cargo, fromcargo expansion trunks 16 totrunk line 18 throughbranch lines 19. If non-return clapper valves are used, the valves permit the free flow of the liquid cargo only fromcargo expansion trunks 16 totrunk line 18 throughbranch lines 19. Acargo retention tank 21, which may comprise either a wing tank or a plurality of interconnected tanks of the vessel, is coupled totrunk line 18 for receiving cargo from the trunk line. Anoverflow pipe 22 is disposed within theretention tank 21 for directing the cargo overflow within the retention tank and has an enlargedopening 23 at one end thereof which is disposed below the end oftrunk line 18. The latter extends downwardly and opens into theretention tank 21 just belowtop deck 13. The enlargedopening 23 ofpipe 22 receives cargo overflow fromtrunk line 18 and is spaced slightly apart from the end of the trunk line intank 21 in order to permit gases, for retrofitted with the spill overflow prevention system of the invention and already has an existing venting system which is retained. -
Branch lines 19 are dimensioned, i.e., have a diameter which is large enough to prevent overpressurization of the cargo compartments during an overflow while loading or transferring cargo. The term "overpressurization" means a pressure build-up in the cargo compartments due to the pumping of cargo into the compartments at high pressure which would cause structural damage to the bulkheads of the vessel. Such a pressure build-up is relieved by sizing thebranch lines 19 so that the lines have a diameter which is greater than the diameter of the filling lines or pipes used to load the compartments to such an extent that the pressure in the cargo compartments is reduced to a level below the maximum the vessel bulkheads can withstand before sustaining damage. It should be noted that bothtrunk line 18 andbranch lines 19 may comprise rectangular or square-shaped ducts, or partially circular pipes, as well as the circular pipes illustrated in the drawings, and can be disposed either above or below the deck of the vessel. The diameter oftrunk line 18, as a general rule, will always be considerably greater than that of thebranch lines 19 and for that reason usually is not a factor in overpressurization of thecargo compartments 14. If,however, for some reason a'back pressure were produced by the trunk line, for example, if the trunk line had a diameter which was less than that of the branch lines, this pressure would have to be considered along with the pressure produced by the branch lines in determining the dimensions of the lines which will keep the pressure in thecompartments 14 below the maximum allowable overpressure. - A line flow alarm 29 is coupled in series with
trunk line 18 for indicating the flow of cargo in the trunk line. In addition,retention tank 21 preferably comprises a side compartment of vessel 10 in order to provide an additional indication of the flow of cargo through the trunk line and of an overflow by causing the vessel to heel over slightly. This provides an additional level of protection in the event that the line flow alarm fails to indicate and/or crewmen working on the vessel are inattentive or are not present and fail to detect an overflow from the compartments through the trunk line. - In operation, in the event that the volume of cargo loaded into one or more of the cargo compartments of the vessel exceeds the capacity of the compartments and overflows, the excess cargo is directed through
cargo expansion trunk 16 andbranch line 19 to thetrunk line 18 and flows through the trunk line intoretention tank 21. Ifvalves 20 comprise positive-type closure valves, the valves are opened prior to commencement of the loading operation. If non-return clapper valves are used, the valves will automatically open when an overflow occurs. The flow through thetrunk line 18 is indicated by the flow alarm 29, which produces an audible and/or visible alarm. Cargo entering the retention tank is received by enlargedopening 23 ofoverflow pipe 22 and is directed by the pipe within the tank to the tank bottom. Gases present incargo compartments 14, for example, hydrocarbon gases produced by petroleum products, are expelled from the compartments during loading or cargo transfer and flow throughbranch lines 19 intotrunk line 18 and escape from the end of the trunk line inretention tank 21. The gases are then vented under pressure to the atmosphere throughexhaust vent 24. Theexhaust vent 24 is preferably designed so that it terminates at its open upper end at a level above the vessel's deck which is well clear of personnel areas and any hazard of ignition on the vessel. It should be noted that a closed tank loading system is required during loading or transfer operations on the vessel. This system can be either an automatic or manual closed ullage system or a simple glass visor having an internal wiper device fitted in each ullage opening. The spill overflow system of the present invention may also be used for bunker tanks, chemical tanks, etc., to prevent overflow loss and hazard in the same manner as with cargo compartments. - In the foregoing specification, the invention has been described with reference to specific exemplary embodiments thereof. It will, however, be evident that various modifications and changes may be made thereunto without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. The specification and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative rather than in a restrictive sense.
Claims (10)
Priority Applications (3)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
AT81301781T ATE15014T1 (en) | 1981-04-22 | 1981-04-22 | TANK VESSEL OVERFLOW PREVENTION SYSTEM. |
DE8181301781T DE3171889D1 (en) | 1981-04-22 | 1981-04-22 | Spill overflow prevention system for tanker vessels |
EP81301781A EP0063191B1 (en) | 1981-04-22 | 1981-04-22 | Spill overflow prevention system for tanker vessels |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
EP81301781A EP0063191B1 (en) | 1981-04-22 | 1981-04-22 | Spill overflow prevention system for tanker vessels |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP0063191A1 true EP0063191A1 (en) | 1982-10-27 |
EP0063191B1 EP0063191B1 (en) | 1985-08-21 |
Family
ID=8188282
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP81301781A Expired EP0063191B1 (en) | 1981-04-22 | 1981-04-22 | Spill overflow prevention system for tanker vessels |
Country Status (3)
Country | Link |
---|---|
EP (1) | EP0063191B1 (en) |
AT (1) | ATE15014T1 (en) |
DE (1) | DE3171889D1 (en) |
Cited By (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
GB2382070A (en) * | 2001-11-20 | 2003-05-21 | Carl Denby | Refilling liquid storage tanks |
EP1473249A2 (en) * | 2003-05-01 | 2004-11-03 | Carl Denby | Method and apparatus for refilling liquid storage tanks |
Citations (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3628559A (en) * | 1970-10-16 | 1971-12-21 | Mariani Branko | Ullage opening spillage prevention system |
FR2331493A1 (en) * | 1975-11-13 | 1977-06-10 | Handelmaatschappi Maschf | TANK VENTILATION DEVICE, ESPECIALLY FOR CARGO |
GB2041895A (en) * | 1979-02-09 | 1980-09-17 | Conway C S | Fluid venting systems for tanker vessels |
-
1981
- 1981-04-22 EP EP81301781A patent/EP0063191B1/en not_active Expired
- 1981-04-22 DE DE8181301781T patent/DE3171889D1/en not_active Expired
- 1981-04-22 AT AT81301781T patent/ATE15014T1/en not_active IP Right Cessation
Patent Citations (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3628559A (en) * | 1970-10-16 | 1971-12-21 | Mariani Branko | Ullage opening spillage prevention system |
FR2331493A1 (en) * | 1975-11-13 | 1977-06-10 | Handelmaatschappi Maschf | TANK VENTILATION DEVICE, ESPECIALLY FOR CARGO |
GB2041895A (en) * | 1979-02-09 | 1980-09-17 | Conway C S | Fluid venting systems for tanker vessels |
Cited By (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
GB2382070A (en) * | 2001-11-20 | 2003-05-21 | Carl Denby | Refilling liquid storage tanks |
EP1473249A2 (en) * | 2003-05-01 | 2004-11-03 | Carl Denby | Method and apparatus for refilling liquid storage tanks |
EP1473249A3 (en) * | 2003-05-01 | 2005-01-05 | Carl Denby | Method and apparatus for refilling liquid storage tanks |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
EP0063191B1 (en) | 1985-08-21 |
DE3171889D1 (en) | 1985-09-26 |
ATE15014T1 (en) | 1985-09-15 |
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