Ship Fuel Tank Venting Near Ignition Sources With Delayed Relief
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Solution Overview
Problem
Locating the vent outlet of a ship's fuel tank remote from potential ignition sources and personnel is challenging for small vessels, necessitating a safer and more efficient design.
Innovation Solution
The vent outlet is positioned within close proximity to the deck and potential ignition sources, utilizing a fire retardant tank wall, large storage volume, and controlled pressure relief system to delay venting for over an hour, ensuring safety even in the event of a fire.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the vent outlet is located remote from potential ignition sources and personnel, then safety is improved, but device complexity and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameters of the tank wall (adding fire retardant properties) and the storage volume to delay the venting process. By modifying these parameters, the vent outlet can be located closer to ignition sources without compromising safety, as the delayed venting provides sufficient reaction time.
Solution Approach 2:
The fire retardant wall and large storage volume act as preliminary protective measures that delay the venting process before a fire can spread or explode. This preliminary action creates a time buffer that allows safe location of the vent outlet even near potential ignition sources.
2Device complexity
If the vent outlet is located close to the deck and ignition sources, then device complexity is reduced, but safety deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
By changing the tank wall properties to be fire retardant and increasing the storage volume, the patent creates sufficient delay time that allows the vent outlet to be positioned close to the deck and ignition sources while maintaining safety through the delayed venting response.
3Quantity of substance
If a large storage volume is used, then fuel capacity is improved, but the delay time before venting increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes the relationship between storage volume and delay time by designing the tank with a specific large storage volume that naturally provides sufficient delay time before venting occurs. This parameter change allows the tank to hold more fuel while the large volume itself creates the necessary time buffer for safety.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
A ship (1) comprises a walkable deck (2), a superstructure (3) above the deck (2), an opening or a closable opening in the deck (2) or the superstructure (3) such as a door or ventilation opening, an internal combustion engine (6), a closed tank (7) for containing a low flashpoint liquid fuel (8), a fuel supply system (11) for supplying fuel (8) from the tank (7) to the internal combustion engine (6), an inert gas supply system (12) for supplying inert gas to the tank (7), a tank venting pipe (14) extending from the tank (7) to a vent outlet (15) of the tank venting pipe (14) and a pressure relief system (16) for allowing gas to flow from the tank (7) through the tank venting pipe (14) to the vent outlet (15) when pressure in the tank (7) exceeds a predetermined pressure level. The tank (7) has a fire retardant wall (10) and a storage volume which is larger than 1.5 m3. The vent outlet (15) is located within 3 m from the deck (2) and/or within 10 m from the opening or the closable opening and/or within 10 m from a potential ignition source.