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Nitrogen and Its Use in Bulk Liquid Transport
Nitrogen and Its Use in Bulk Liquid Transport
articles
Chemical cargo
of the vessel’s tank atmospheric complete, the pressure in the cargo
condition records will be critical to tanks should be monitored throughout
defending an owner’s position against the voyage to prevent excessive
any possible claim. If an inhibition under or over pressure in the cargo
certificate is provided for this or similar tanks. A vessel can encounter drastic
polymerising cargoes, this document temperature changes between day and
will usually specify the atmospheric night that can affect the pressure in
oxygen range suitable for carriage. the cargo tank. Careful monitoring of
the pressure is therefore necessary. A
How it works vessel’s cargo tanks will be equipped
Most chemical tankers are equipped with high and low pressure alarms that
with nitrogen generators, which indicate whether a tank needs venting
can produce nitrogen via a pressure or topping up with nitrogen/inert gas.
swing membrane-type generator During discharge of inerted cargoes, it
at a purity above 95%. Shore-side is also necessary to continuously top
cryogenic nitrogen generators can up the tanks with nitrogen/inert gas
also supply a vessel with high-purity to maintain an overpressure, which
nitrogen prior to, during or after prevents the ingress of air into the
custody transfer, or alternatively, cargo tanks while cargo is discharged.
pre-bottled nitrogen can be used. For
fire/explosion prevention purposes Summary
and tank purging, 95% – 98% purity Each individual chemical cargo’s need
nitrogen is sufficient. However, higher- for nitrogen atmospheres will be
purity nitrogen is needed for chemical dependent upon the properties of the
cargoes, especially those liable to cargo. The charterer’s instructions
suffer from oxidative degradation. should be followed when provided,
but if they are not provided or seem
When inerting a cargo tank, a vessel will contrary to what is expected, then the
have target atmospheric conditions IMDG code or a suitable commodities
(e.g. cargo tank pressure, atmospheric database should be consulted. This
concentration of previous cargo article is only a small summary of
components) depending upon the cargo some of the technical and safety
being loaded and the cargo that has been aspects of the use of nitrogen on
discharged, which are often provided on board ships. If further information is
the voyage instructions. For example, required, reference should be made to
after discharge and tank cleaning the Chemical Distribution Institute’s
following the carriage of a low flash (CDI) nitrogen best practice advice.
point cargo such as gasoline, a vessel will
need to reduce the tank atmospheric
concentration of hydrocarbon species
to below 2% volume in order to load a
high flash point cargo such as diesel/
gasoil or fuel oil. Therefore, during
inerting, the atmospheric conditions
are monitored using pressure sensors
and electronic gas detectors (such as
the Riken RX series of detectors) or
indeed through manual monitoring of