Bunker Inlet manifold layout

[jmw]

When receiving bunkers some vessels have an inlet either side but others may also have fore and aft stations as well.
Is there usually a common point somewhere where whichever loading station is used, all the fuel goes past here before going into the bunkers?

JMW

http://www.ViscoAnalyser.com

 

[Truckdriver2]

No...

 

[jmw]

Care to elaborate?

JMW

http://www.ViscoAnalyser.com

 

[Truckdriver2]

The ship has tanks extending its length, generally Port and Stbd, sometimes centre tanks as well. These will generally be called 1P, 1S, 2P, 2S etc. Sometimes your bunker tanks can also double as cargo tanks. There will be a filling line or sometimes filling lines specific to product on your bukers manifold. These lines generally run the length of the ship and branch off into the tanks. Product loaded at the bow for an aft tank will therefore run the length of the ship to the aft tank and vica versa if loading at the stern or midships. The only common point through which bunkers will pass is therefore the manifold. Sometimes on tankers everything goes trough the pumproom but this is generally an exception rather than a rule for large ships. The ship I work on has 3 bunkers manifolds. Two for'd and one aft. We can load or discharge through all three. I would say the answer to your question is generally no but some ships maybe yes. They would be unusual. You really need a piping diagram for the ship in question.

 

[jmw]

Thanks Truckdriver,
MARPOL introduces some consideration about the the number of tanks and the ability to segregate different bunkers. Part of the problem is also to know if the fuel being bunkered is what it the supplier says it is, as more fuel analysis may increase the risk of having to de-bunker whether for excess sulphur or for other reasons.

Hence, a follow on question would be to discover how close independent manifolds would be and how easy it would be to install a single sample stream analyser onboard (to monitor quality as the fuel is bunkered)that could be connected to the manifolds; the option would be to install multiple analysers i.e. one per bunkering station..

Obviously, price starts to become an issue for older and smaller vessels (with less finanical risk associated with increased sample analysis and increased risk of de-bunkering).

JMW

http://www.ViscoAnalyser.com

 

[Truckdriver2]

JMW,
The manifolds may be more than a hundred meters from one another.

If you are looking mostly at tankers, things will generally be a bit simpler with a manifold either side somewhere about midships.

Depending on size, bulk carriers may be similar or have a similar set up aft in front of the accomodation.

All this said all depends on what the ship was built to carry and where it was meant to go. ie. Barge supply or pipeline supply? Size is possibly the biggest factor in this matter.

Is your gear portable? If it is, can you strap it onto the manifold in series? Of course wiring starts to play a role in the overall cost whereby on a large ship and particularly a tanker your gear may be a smaller part of the equation...

Trucky.