46 C.F.R. § 38.15-1

Current through September 30, 2024

Section 38.15-1 - Filling of tanks-TB/ALL

(a) Refrigerated and semirefrigerated tanks shall be filled so that there is an outage of at least 2 percent of the volume of the tank at the temperature corresponding to the vapor pressure of the cargo at the safety relief valve setting. A reduction in the required outage may be permitted by the Commandant when warranted by special design considerations. Normally then, the maximum volume to which a tank may be loaded is:

= 0.98d_rV/d_L

where:

V_L = maximum volume to which tank may be loaded.

V = volume of tank.

d_r = density of cargo at the temperature required for a cargo vapor pressure equal to the relief valve setting.

d_L = density of cargo at the loading temperature and pressure.

(b) Nonrefrigerated tanks shall be filled so that their filling densities shall not exceed the ratios indicated in table 38.15-1(b).

(c) The "filling density" is defined as the percent ratio of the weight of the gas in a tank to the weight of water the tank will hold at 60 °F.

Table 38.15-1(b)-Maximum Permissible Filling Densities for Tanks Operating At or Near Ambient Temperature

Specific gravity at 60 °F.	Maximum permitted filling density
	Unlagged tanks-water capacity		Lagged tanks-all capacities
	1,200 gal. and under	Over 1,200 gal.
0.473-0.480	38	41	42
0.481-0.488	39	42	43
0.489-0.495	40	43	44
0.496-0.503	41	44	45
0.504-0.510	42	45	46
0.511-0.519	43	46	47
0.520-0.527	44	47	48
0.528-0.536	45	48	49
0.537-0.544	46	49	50
0.545-0.552	47	50	51
0.553-0.560	48	51	52
0.561-0.568	49	52	53
0.569-0.576	50	53	54
0.577-0.584	51	54	55
0.585-0.592	52	55	56
0.593-0.600	53	56	57
0.601-0.608	54	57	58
0.609-0.617	55	58	59
0.618-0.626	56	59	60
0.627-0.634	57	60	61

46 C.F.R. §38.15-1

Increase in filling densities to provide for seasonal changes may be considered by the Commandant upon presentation of factual evidence that safe operation can be effected.