🔍 Key Concepts

• 46 CFR Subchapter M – Towing vessel machinery and electrical systems • Fuel system requirements for material and construction of fuel lines • Why non-metallic (plastic) fuel piping is tightly controlled or prohibited on inspected vessels

💭 Think About

• Look at which materials are normally accepted for pressurized fuel lines on steel, aluminum, or composite vessels. • Ask yourself: which of these materials would be most vulnerable in a serious machinery-space fire and could fail early, worsening the situation? • Consider which of the listed options is not normally seen in engine-room fuel systems on inspected vessels under current USCG standards.

✅ Before You Answer

• Verify in 46 CFR that fuel piping is generally required to be metallic and of suitable fire resistance. • Check whether any type of plastic piping is authorized for fuel lines in machinery spaces of towing vessels. • Confirm that aluminum fuel piping can be used on aluminum-hulled vessels when it meets strength and fire-resistance requirements.