The Isolation of Oil and Other Fluids in Tankers from Sea Water Ballast Using Impermeable Membranes

摘要

A preliminary engineering assessment has been made of a proposed method of isolating oil and other fluids from sea water ballast using impermeable membranes. The design constraint of smooth walled tanks has been assumed and feasible methods of achieving this feature have been established both for new and existing tankers. Preliminary designs for membranes in cargo-ballast tanks were established and costs of suitable rubber-nylon membranes for a 250,000 ton tanker were obtained. Future efforts will extend the analysis to 50,000 ton tankers and will include a detailed analysis into the adequacy of structural modifications, an evaluation of membrane attachment methods and model testing of operational features. (Author)