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WÄRTSILÄ
Encyclopedia of Marine and Energy Technology

Cargo handling equipment on a VLGC

marine

A Very Large Gas Carrier has normally the capacity to load about 80,000m3 of LPG. In order for the gas carrier to safely load, unload and carry liquefied gases a set of systems and equipment installations are required: a VLGC is equipped with 4 IMO type A tanks of prismatic shape located below deck. The tanks are self-supporting and structurally independent of the ship’s hull. Each tank is enclosed in a cargo hold and is bounded by the transverse bulkheads, the double bottom, the ship’s sides and the main deck. The tanks are resting on the double bottom on specially constructed supports. They are stiffened against rolling and pitching on the bottom and on the top, against rolling and floating. Each tank is equipped with a dome protruding the deck level. All connections for piping and equipment to the tanks are arranged through this dome. The equipment associated with cargo handling operations are cargo pumps, cargo booster pumps, cargo heater and vaporizer and cargo reliquefaction unit.