Centralized cargo handling system for cryogenic vessels

Claim 2

A tanker for the transportation of liquid cargo at atmospheric pressure and cryogenic temperatures comprising, in combination: a. a deck; b. a hull having forward, after and intermediate cargo-carrying portions, said cargo-carrying portion having a transverse bulkhead located at each end thereof and being constructed and arranged into a plurality of cargo-carrying holds between said ends; c. cofferdam means located aft of said cargo-carrying portion to provide a pump room for housing electrical and mechanical equipment necessary for the loading and discharge of the liquid cargo, aa. said pump room including manifold means for loading and discharging said liquid cargo and pump means operably associated therewith; d. a first piping system including a first plurality of separate and independent main cargo pipes extending longitudinally along the bottom of said hull within said cargo-carrying portion, each one of said separate and independent pipes being connected at one end to said pump means and terminating in a different corresponding one of said cargo-carrying holds, whereby said liquid cargo can be selectively distributed throughout the tanker; and e. a second piping system including a second plurality of separate and independent cooldown and recirculation pipes extending longitudinally at the top of said hull adjacent and below said deck, each one of said separate and independent cooldown and recirculation pipes being connected at one end to said pump means and selected ones of said pipes operably extending to and terminating at different corresponding ones of said cargo-carrying holds.

Claim 3

A tanker according to claim 1 wherein means are provided within said pump room for maintaining an inert atmosphere therein.

Claim 4

A tanker according to claim 2 wherein there is provided within said pump room means for aerating said room to facilitate inspection, maintenance and repair of the equipment housed therein.

Claim 5

A tanker according to claim 1 wherein said first and second piping systems include valves for selectively shutting off the flow of liquid through said pipes.

Claim 6

A tanker according to claim 1 wherein said pipes terminating in said cargo-carrying holds forward of the cargo-carrying hold directly adjacent said pump room are provided with expansion loops to allow for contraction of said pipes upon cooling thereof.

Claim 7

A tanker according to claim 1 wherein said pump room includes a storage tank for storing liquid nitrogen, a combined nitrogen evaporator and heater adapted for an inert atmosphere within said pump room, means including a valve and a gas analyzing control device connecting said storage tank and said nitrogen evaporator and heater for feeding liquid nitrogen into the latter, and pressure sensing means operative in response to the pressure maintained in said pump room for closing said valve to terminate the supply of liquid nitrogen to said evaporator and heater.

Claim 8

A tanker according to claim 6 wherein gas analyzer means is provided within said pump room and means operably connecting said gas analyzeR means to said valve for sampling the atmosphere maintained within said pump room and providing an alarm in the event of cargo leakage.

Claim 9

A tanker according to claim 1 wherein said pump means comprises first and second main cargo pumps and first and second recirculating pumps, safety interlocking means interconnecting said pumps in operable relationship with said first and second piping systems.

Claim 10

A tanker for the transportation of liquid cargo at atmospheric pressure and cryogenic temperatures comprising in combination: a. a deck; b. a hull having forward, after and intermediate cargo-carrying portions, said cargo-carrying portion having a transverse bulkhead located at each end thereof and being constructed and arranged into a plurality of cargo-carrying holds between said ends; c. cofferdam means located aft of said cargo-carrying portion to provide a pump room for housing electrical and mechanical equipment necessary for the loading and discharge of the liquid cargo, aa. said pump room including manifold means for loading and discharging said liquid cargo, first and second main cargo pumps and first and second recirculating pumps, means operably interconnecting said first and second cargo and recirculating pumps with first and second piping systems respectively, said pump room further including means for maintaining an inert atmosphere therein comprising nitrogen evaporator and heater means and a storage tank for supplying liquid nitrogen to said evaporator and heater means and analyzer means for controlling the amount of liquid nitrogen passed to said evaporator and heater means, and means for aerating said pump room to facilitate inspection, maintenance and repair of equipment located therein, pressure sensing means operative in response to the pressure of said pump room for terminating the supply of liquid nitrogen into the pump room; d. said first piping system including a first plurality of separate and independent main cargo-carrying pipes extending longitudinally along the bottom of said hull within said cargo-carrying portion, each one of said separate and independent pipes being operably connected at one end with said main cargo pumps and terminating at the opposite end in different ones of said cargo-carrying holds, whereby said liquid cargo is selectively distributed throughout the tanker; and e. said second piping system including a second plurality of separate and independent cooldown and recirculation pipes extending longitudinally at the top of said hull adjacent and below said deck, each one of said separate and independent cooldown and recirculation pipes being operably connected at one end to said recirculation pumps and the opposite end of said pipes operably extending to and terminating in different ones of said cargo-carrying holds.

Claim 11

A tanker for the transportation of liquid cargo at atmospheric pressure and cryogenic temperatures comprising in combination: a. a deck; b. a hull having forward, after and intermediate cargo-carrying portions, said cargo-carrying portion having a transverse bulkhead located at each end thereof and being constructed and arranged into a plurality of cargo-carrying holds between said ends; c. cofferdam means located aft of said cargo-carrying portion to provide a pump room for housing electrical and mechanical equipment necessary for the loading and discharge of the liquid cargo, aa. said pump room including manifold means for loading and discharging said liquid cargo, first and second main cargo pumps and first and second recirculating pumps, means operably interconnecting said first and second cargo and recirculating pumps with first and second piping systems respectively, said pump room further including means for maintaining an inert atmosphere therein comprising nitrogen evaporator and heater means and a storage tank for supplying liquid nitrogen to said evaporator and heater means and analyzer means for controlling the amount of liquid nitrogen passed to said evaporator and heater means, and means for aerating said pump room to facilitate inspection, maintenance and repair of equipment located therein, pressure sensing means operative in response to the pressure of said pump room for terminating the supply of liquid nitrogen into the pump room; d. said first piping system including a first plurality of separate and independent main cargo-carrying pipes extending longitudinally along the bottom of said hull within said cargo-carrying portion, each one of said separate and independent pipes being operably connected at one end with said main cargo pumps and terminating at the opposite end in different ones of said cargo-carrying holds, whereby said liquid cargo is selectively distributed throughout the tanker; and e. said second piping system including a second plurality of separate and independent cooldown and recirculation pipes extending longitudinally at the top of said hull adjacent and below said deck, each one of said separate and independent cooldown and recirculation pipes being operably connected at one end to said recirculation pumps and the opposite end of said pipes operably extending to and terminating in different ones of said cargo-carrying holds.