Types of Gas carriers
Gas carriers are divided into three main groups
and four types:
TYPE
GROUP
1G 2G 3G
SEMI
FULLY PRESSURISED FULLY
PRESSURISED / REFRIGERATED
SEMI REF. 2PG
Ship Design
- Pressurized carriage:
Fully pressurised carriers: designed for excess
pressure in the cargo tank above 11 bar & upto 19 bar.
• No Boil-off control.
• Cargo is at ambient temperature
• Pressure vessel type tanks are used to contain the cargo,
Hence tanks of wall thickness of 25 mm are used for this
type of carriage.
• Pressure vessels are made cylindrical in shape with
hemispherical heads.
No requirements for insulation, carriers are not
allowed to transport cargoes with temperature
colder than -10oC.
Built for an excess pressure corresponding to an
ambient temp of 45oC & 32°C for sea water.
Heat exchanger (cargo heater) connected to the
loading lines with valves and spool.
Cargo each vessel can carry is stated in the
vessel's IMO Certificate of Fitness
Fully Pressurized
Fully Pressurized
Fully Pressurized
Advantages:
Easy to operate , discharging can take place without
pumps.
Low costs in building, common steel is utilized in the
cargo tanks.
Low costs for maintenance, there is little mechanical
utility equipment for cargo handling.
Simple discharging/loading equipment on deck.
No insulation of tanks or liner, no need in maintenance
of the insulation, and one can easily inspect the cargo
tanks and the lines from the outside.
Transporting the cargo by surrounding temperature
(ambient), no cooling of the cargo gives low energy
consumption.
Disadvantages:
Small amount of cargo in proportion to
displacement as the cargo is transported ambient.
Limited trade area, dependence of discharging to
pressure tanks on shore.
Limited cargo volume because the tankers are not
built larger than 8000m3.
Unable to have cold cargo in the tanks because of
the steel quality.
Heavy cargo construction because of toleration of
the pressure
Semi-pressurized LPG/ LEG carriers
Semi-pressurized LPG/ LEG carriers
Ship Design
• These ships are similar to fully pressurized ships in that
they incorporate Type C tanks - in this case pressure
vessels designed typically for a maximum working
pressure of 3 -7 barg. Tank Design Strength is 11 Bars
• The ships range in size up to 27,500 m3 and are primarily
used to carry LPG. Compared to fully pressurized ships, a
reduction in tank thickness (15 mm) is possible due to the
reduced pressure, but at the cost of the addition of
refrigeration plant and tank insulation. Tanks on these
ships are constructed of steels capable of withstanding
temperatures as low as –10 deg C.
• They can be cylindrical, conical or spherical in shape.
Semi-pressurized LPG/ LEG carriers
Semi-pressurized LPG/ LEG carriers
More complex than fully pressurized carriers, extended cargo handling
equipment.
Equipped either with direct cargo cooling plant or cascade cargo cooling
plant.
LPG or Ammonia with a boiling point at atmospheric pressure warmer than -
48oC, direct cargo cooling plant.
Cargo with a boiling point at atmospheric pressure colder than -48oC, the
vessel must be equipped with cascade cooling plant.
Independent tanks type C either as cylinder or spherical tank designed for
tank pressure between 0.5 - 11 bars.
The cylinder tanks are often a combination of twin tanks that are situated
longitudinally of the ship – Bi lobe tanks
Advantages:
Very flexible, can load and unload temperate cargo.
Can heat the cargo while at sea and while discharging.
Can transport fully cooled cargo, and thereby handle heavier
cargo, lower temperature, and larger density.
(Notice the safety valves set point).
Easier tank construction than fully pressurized tankers.
Can cool the cargo on route, no dependence at loading to
remove excess pressure.
Disadvantages:
• Expensive to build, costly cargo handling
equipment.
• Complicated to operate because of the cargo
handling equipment. .
• Uses more energy than fully pressurized tankers.
• Limited cargo amount (maximum approximate
20000 m3).
Fully refrigerated carriers
Fully refrigerated carriers
Ship Design
Fully refrigerated carriers: designed for excess pressure in the cargo tank below 0.7 bars, the
pressure is normally less than 0.10 – 0.20 bars.
- cargo carried at its boiling point
- If the cargo is to be carried refrigerated (i.e. at temperatures below
ambient) the tank has to be made from special materials. Normal mild
steel is suitable for cargo temperatures down to 0°C only.
• At lower temperatures we must use steel with fine grain structures and
improved tensile properties.
• For temperatures up to -55°C an alloy steel is necessary. For extremely
low temperatures as -1040C (ethylene) or -1630C (LNG) metals as
aluminum alloys, nickel steels or stainless steels are needed (INVAR). In
addition, the cargo tanks must be insulated to prevent the heat ingress
from surroundings.
• Working Pr. – Up to 0.2 barg ,
MARVS – 0.25 - (2 relief valves) OR 0.45 barg ( USCG req.)
Design Pressure – 0.7 Barg
Fully refrigerated carriers
Fully refrigerated carriers
Independent tank type A or type B as prismatic or spherical
tanks, or with membrane tanks
Built of low temperature carbon-manganese steel
Insulated either with Polyurethane or Polystyrene
Independent tank type A must have a full secondary barrier
One or more valves in the centre bulkhead that is called
intermediate valves
Hold space or the inter-barrier space must have a content of
neutral atmosphere with either dry inert gas or dry nitrogen
Advantages:
Transports large weight in proportion to volume
because the cargo is at all times loaded and transported
at atmospheric pressure.
Easier cargo tank construction than Semi pressurized
tanker
Tanks insulated.
Have large cargo cooling plant.
Large tankers are more efficient (cargo weight).
Disadvantages:
Not so flexible for cargo change as Semi pressurized
tankers.
Pressure limitation, not possible to heat up cargo on
route.
Carrier without heat exchanger (cargo heater) can only
unload at atmospheric pressure (fully cooled).
Limited access on terminals and ports with limitations
to draught.
Types of Gas carriers
Gas carriers are divided into three main groups
and four types:
TYPE
GROUP
1G 2G 3G
SEMI
FULLY PRESSURISED FULLY
PRESSURISED / REFRIGERATED
SEMI REF. 2PG
Ship Types - Cargoes Hazard Categories
• 1G - Most hazardous cargoes -Chlorine
• 2G/2PG - Moderate hazardous cargoes - Propane,
Butane, LNG
• 3G - Least Hazardous cargoes -Refrigerant gases
SHIP TYPES AS PER IGC CODE (2.1)
The IGC Code classifies Gas ships into the under mentioned types based on survival
capabilities upon flooding, following an assumed damage extent of the hull as
described in IGC (2.8).
TYPE 1G
TYPE 2G
TYPE 2PG
TYPE 3G
Type 1G SHIP:
It is a gas carrier intended to transport
products in chapter 19 (IGC Code), which
require maximum preventive measures to
preclude the escape of such cargo. Such a
ship should be assumed to sustain damage L
anywhere along her length.
Type 2G SHIP:It is a gas carrier intended to transport products
indicated in chapter 19 (IGC code), which require significant
preventive measures to preclude the escape of such cargo.
Such a ship more than 150m
in length should be assumed to
sustain damage anywhere along
her length. L > 150m
Such a ship of length 150m or
less should be assumed to
sustain damage anywhere along
her length except involving E/R
either of the bulkheads bounding
a machinery space located aft.
L < / = 150m
Type 2PG SHIP:
It is a gas carrier of 150m or less in length
intended to transport products indicated in
chapter 19 which require significant
preventive measures to preclude escape of
such cargo, and where the products are l
carried in Independent Type ‘C’ tanks
designed for a MARVS of at least 7barg and
where the design temperature of the cargo
containment system is not below –55°C. l > (1/3L2/3 or 14.5m)
L < / = 150m
Such a ship should be assumed to sustain
damage anywhere in her length except
involving transverse bulkheads spaced
further apart than the specified longitudinal
extent of damage: 1/3L2/3 or 14.5m
whichever is less.
Type 3G SHIP: It is a gas carrier intended to carry products indicated
in chapter 19 which require moderate preventive measures to preclude
the escape of such cargo.
Such a ship of 125m in
length and over should be
assumed to sustain damage
l
anywhere in her length except
involving transverse
bulkheads spaced further
apart than the specified l > (1/3L2/3 or 14.5m)
L > / = 125m
longitudinal extent of
damage: 1/3L2/3 or 14.5m
whichever is less.
Type 3G SHIP: It is a gas carrier intended to carry products indicated
in chapter 19 which require moderate preventive measures to preclude
the escape of such cargo.
Such a ship of length less than 125m
should be assumed to sustain damage
anywhere in her length except
involving transverse bulkheads spaced
l
further apart than the specified
longitudinal extent: 1/3L2/3 or 14.5m E/R
whichever is less, and involving
damage to the machinery space when l > (1/3L2/3 or 14.5m)
located aft. However, the ability to L < 125m
survive flooding of the machinery
space should be considered by the
Administration.
LOCATION OF CARGO TANKS AS PER IGC CODE (2.6)
Cargo tanks should be located at the following minimum distances
inboard as per the Code:
Type 1G SHIP: From the side shell plating not less than the
specified transverse extent of damage: B/5 or 11.5m whichever is
less, and from the moulded line of the bottom shell plating at centre
line not less than the specified vertical extent of damage: B/15 or 2m
whichever is less, and no where less than 800 mm from the shell
plating.
Type 2G / 2PG / 3G SHIPS: From the moulded line of the bottom
shell plating at centre line not less than the specified vertical extent
of damage: B/15 or 2m, and no where less than 800 mm from the
shell plating.
CARGO TANK LOCATION REQUIREMENTS
B/5 OR 11.5m at
Summer load line
Minimum
760mm
B/15 OR 2m
WHICHEVER
LESS.
CARGO TANK LOCATION REQUIREMENTS
Ship Design
Summary
• Type 1G Ship is a gas carrier intended to transport products as indicated in Section 19 which
require maximum preventative measures to preclude the escape of such cargo.
• Type 2G Ship is a gas carrier intended to transport products as indicated in Section 19 which
require significant preventative measures to preclude the escape of such cargo.
• Type 2PG Ship is a gas carrier of 150 m in length (Lc) or less intended to transport products
as indicated in Section 19 which require significant preventative measures to preclude escape
of such cargo, and where the products are carried in independent tanks type C designed (see
[Link]) for a MARVS of at least 7 bar gauge and a cargo containment system design
temperature of – 55 °C or above. Note that a ship of this description but over 150 m in length
is to be considered a Type 2G ship.
• Type 3G Ship is a gas carrier intended to carry products as indicated in Section 19 which
require moderate preventative measures to preclude the escape of such cargo.
38
