On a tanker vessel, what is the required combined capacity of the inert gas generating system as compared to the total capacity of all the cargo pumps which can be operated simultaneously?
• Required capacity of inert gas systems on tankers under SOLAS and 46 CFR • Relationship between inert gas delivery rate and cargo pump discharge rate during cargo operations • Purpose of inert gas: to keep tank atmosphere non-flammable even at maximum cargo discharge rate
• When all cargo pumps are running, how fast is cargo being discharged compared to how fast inert gas must replace the volume? • If the inert gas system were undersized, what risk would appear in the cargo tanks during high-rate discharge? • Think about whether the regulation expects the system to match, exceed, or be allowed to lag behind the total cargo pump capacity.
• Verify in current SOLAS/46 CFR the wording about “not less than … of the total capacity of all cargo pumps which can be operated simultaneously.” • Check whether the rule talks about combined capacity of the inert gas generating system vs. total throughput of cargo pumps, not individual pumps. • Confirm that the percentage applies to the maximum rated discharge capacity of all pumps operating together, not normal operating rate.
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