Fuel Tank Thermal Insulation Introduced

SPS Overlay has been used on three tankers to provide thermal insulation boundaries between two Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) tanks to successfully convert one of them into a Marine Gas Oil (MGO) tank.

 

This was the first time that SPS Overlay has been used in this application; and was approved by Lloyds Register (LR).  Carried out at Ras Laffan Industrial City in Qatar by Intelligent Engineering’s partner, Clarkson Technical Services Offshore Marine (CTSOM), on behalf a global shipping company, each of the three ships had areas of 50m² of SPS Overlay fitted to bulkheads between two adjacent fuel tanks.

This SPS Overlay modification delivers an effective thermal insulation boundary between HFO and MGO tanks, enabling operators to maintain very different but stable temperatures in each individual tank and maximize tank volume.  This small adaptation means that these vessels are able to operate in Emission Control Areas (ECAs) with lower sulphur limits coming into effect from 1 January 2015.

Martin Brooking, Marine Director at IE stated, ‘SPS Overlay provided a cost effective and innovative solution that offers high value to ship operators.  We hope to make similar modifications to other vessels over the next few months.’

Brooking added, ‘SPS Overlay is a first class solution for what is a pressing issue for operators.  Many are converting vessels to allow switching between HFO and MGO whilst entering and leaving ECAs.  The versatility of SPS Overlay means that it can provide an efficient solution that meets the requirements for strength and thermal insulation.’  

‘Tank capacity wasn’t compromised due to the compact thickness of SPS Overlay.  No changes were made to the existing structure and there is no need for void spaces between tanks which would require through life inspection.  The beauty of SPS Overlay is its flexibility of construction - it can be installed whilst the vessel is at sea,’ he concluded.