• 9.88.1.1Design and construction

  A fuel container shall comply with one of the following requirements—

  • (a)AS /NZS 3509.
  • (b)AS 1210 (for a design pressure of 2.55 MPa).
• 9.88.1.2Installation

  Containers shall be installed in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions and the following—

  • (a)Containers shall be installed within a locker, or on the open deck or deckhouse top at a distance of not less than 1m from any openings that would allow LPG into the ship.
  • (b)Containers shall be fixed (ie non-portable) and shall not be installed in the following locations—
    • (i)inside a deckhouse;
    • (ii)below deck; and
    • (iii)outside the hull contours.
  • (c)Containers shall be installed such that the accuracy of the contents gauge, fixed liquid level gauge, safety valve and automatic fill limiter is not impaired.
  • (d)The service valve shall be operable at all times. The valve may be located such that it can be operated manually from outside the locker, provided that the sealing on the locker is maintained by one of the following means—
    • (i)If a valve-actuating device passes through the locker casing, a gas-tight seal shall be fitted; or
    • (ii)If the actuating handle is located wholly within the locker, access shall be via a gas-tight captive hatch. The gas-tight captive hatch shall be capable of being operated without the need for tools.
  • (e)The container shall be attached securely to the ship in accordance with the following—
    • (i)The method of attachment shall not cause undue stress in the container shell, nor shall it be a potential cause of deterioration of the container shell;
    • (ii)Clamping bands shall be flat, round or square paragraphs. Wire cables or material likely to localise loading shall not be used;
    • (iii)The clamping bands shall be metallurgically compatible with the container shell.

      NOTE:

      Galvanised bands should not contact stainless steel containers;

    • (iv)The risk of corrosion of the container shall be minimized by avoiding entrapment of moisture in non-draining features; and
    • (v)Any welding of components and fittings to the container (eg fixing lugs and brackets) shall take place only during manufacture of the container.
  • (f)The force necessary to separate the container from the ship shall be not less than 20 times the weight of the full container. This requirement applies for any direction in which the force may be applied.
  • (g)The container and its associated attachments shall be located (and protected if necessary) to minimise the risk of damage in the event of impact.
  • (h)Where the thickness of the cylindrical portion of the container shell is less than 2.2mm, the container shall be installed in a locker or in a protected zone.
  • (i)A container should be installed in a location remote from the engine exhaust system. The distance from the container to the exhaust system shall not be less than 150mm. Where there is a possibility of heat from the exhaust system raising the temperature of the container, a heat shield shall be fitted to protect the container, and the exhaust shall be lagged.

• 9.88.2.1A container shall not be fitted with components other than those specified by the manufacturer as suitable for use with that particular container. A container shall incorporate the following components—
  • (a)Filler connection;
  • (b)Filler cap;
  • (c)Filler non-return valve;
  • (d)Automatic fill limiter;
  • (e)Service valve;
  • (f)Excess-flow valve;
  • (g)Safety valve; and
  • (h)Automatic fuel shut-off device.
• 9.88.2.2Components may be combined into multifunction units, provided that the requirements for each individual function have been satisfied.

The container filling connection shall be a 1¾-inch male Acme thread in accordance with AS 1425. A remote filling connection shall incorporate means to prevent it from rotating when the mating dispenser nozzle is connected or disconnected.

• 9.88.4.1General

  The filler non-return valve system shall incorporate a fill line with a nominal internal diameter not less than 8mm, and shall be in accordance with subparagraph 9.88.4.2 to subparagraph 9.88.4.6. The number of elbows in the fill line shall be minimised.

• 9.88.4.2Direct filling system

  Where the filling connection is on the container, it shall incorporate a double non-return valve to ensure a gas-tight condition.

• 9.88.4.3Remote filling system

  Where the filling connection is remote from the container, the backflow prevention system shall be one of the following—

  • (a)A single gas-tight non-return valve at the filler connection and a double non-return valve at the container, of which at least one element shall be gas-tight.
  • (b)A gas-tight non-return valve at the container, plus a double non-return valve at the filler connection, of which at least one element shall be gas-tight.
  • (c)A double non-return valve at both the container and the filling connection, of which at least one element of each valve shall be gas-tight.
  • (d)A single gas-tight non-return valve at the filler connection, plus a manual shut-off valve together with a gas-tight non-return valve at the container.
• 9.88.4.4Internal non-return valve

  At least one of the non-return valves in the backflow prevention system shall be installed such that the valve shall be operable in the event of damage to the assembly external to the container.

• 9.88.4.5Filler cap

  The filler cap shall be captive, and shall either be capable of withstanding the design pressure (2.55 MPa) or shall be designed to prevent the accumulation of pressure.

• 9.88.4.6Location of filling connection

  The filling connection shall not be installed on any impact surfaces on the sponsor, and shall be located such that—

  • (a)it can be supervised from the open deck of the ship; and
  • (b)it is protected by its location.

• 9.88.5.1Design

  The design of an AFL shall be such that—

  • (a)the operation of the shut-off action shall not depend on a bleed of LPG to the atmosphere;
  • (b)it shall not be possible to alter the setting of the AFL from outside the container after installation;
  • (c)an AFL that depends on correct radial orientation for its accuracy (eg a screw-in type) shall incorporate a means to correct its setting or position; and
  • (d)where the installation has more than one container, an AFL shall be incorporated in each container.
• 9.88.5.2Performance

  Subsequent to the testing specified in Annex A, the performance of an AFL shall be as follows—

  • (a)Filling shall be shut off before the maximum permitted filling level has been exceeded; and
  • (b)The filling shut-off function shall be operable at any pressure differential between 70 kPa and 1000 kPa across it.

  NOTE:

  For this requirement, any adjacent or in-built non-return valve is not considered to be part of the AFL.

  • (c)The rate of leakage into the container after shut-off shall be such that the liquid volume does not increase by more than 5% of the total container volume within 8 minutes.
• 9.88.5.3Fixed liquid level gauge

  A fixed liquid level gauge shall comply with the following—

  • (a)The design of the gauge shall be such that either—
    • (i)it incorporates a tube arranged with its open end located at the liquid level, so that gaseous discharge changes to liquid discharge as the liquid surface reaches the level;
    • (ii)or it incorporates a sight glass of the circular window type, marked at the level.
  • (b)It shall indicate when the liquid level is at the maximum permitted filling level; and
  • (c)It shall be accessible to facilitate periodic checking of the AFL;
  • (d)The arrangement shall be such that any discharge occurring during checking can be directed away from both the deckhouse and below the deck of the ship;

  NOTE:

  Temporary extension tubing may be used to facilitate this discharge requirement.

  • (e)Any opening communicating between the gauge and the interior of the container shall be restricted by an orifice with an internal diameter not greater than 1.4mm.

An electrically operated contents gauge shall be designed for use in a Zone 2 area, as defined in AS 2430.1.

An excess-flow valve shall be located upstream of the service valve, and shall comply with the following—

• (a)The valve shall be internal;
• (b)The nominal closing flow rate shall not exceed 215 mL/s of LPG;
• (c)When the valve is shut, the bypass flow rate shall not exceed 3.3 ml/s of LPG at 350 kPa differential pressure; and
• (d)The valve shall reopen automatically when the excess flow condition has ceased.

NOTE: The excess-flow valve is usually attached directly to the service valve.

A service valve shall be manufactured in accordance with AS 2473.

• 9.88.9.1Provided the valve is located in a protected position, the automatic fuel shut off valve at the container shall be fitted between the filter and the inlet of the first stage of the regulator, and shall act automatically to prevent the flow of LPG to the fuel service line at all times other than when both the ignition is on and the engine is running.
• 9.88.9.2The following requirements also apply for the automatic fuel shut-off valve—
  • (a)The valve may open for a period of up to 3 seconds when the ignition is first turned on to allow priming of the fuel system. In the event of the engine stalling (as opposed to the engine being switched off), the valve may similarly remain open for a period not exceeding 3 seconds;
  • (b)The valve shall have a reflux (backflow opening) pressure not greater than 0.275 MPa, and a filter shall be installed upstream of the valve;

    NOTE:

    Care should be taken when fitting the valve to ensure correct direction of flow.

  • (c)Where the valve is fitted within a locker or sub-compartment of a container, it shall be of the electrically encapsulated type, with electrical terminals located outside of the locker or sub-compartment;
  • (d)Wiring circuits, electronics and terminals provided for activation of the valve shall be protected so as to minimize the possibility of the safety shutdown feature being overridden. This protection shall be achieved by routing the wiring clear of any potential voltage sources, or by the incorporation of back-feed protection in the circuitry; and

    NOTE:

    This requirement does not preclude the use of combination modules comprising dual fuel selector/safety switch/fuel gauge units.

  • (e)The valve shall not be activated by switching to earth.

    NOTE:

    The valve may be connected to the service valve by means of a fitting.

A fuel filter capable of removing all matter from the fuel that could cause malfunction of the system shall be fitted on the high-pressure side.

• 9.88.11.1General

  The safety valve shall be internal. The safety valve and its installation shall be in accordance with subparagraph 9.88.11.2 to 9.88.11.5.

• 9.88.11.2Design and manufacture

  The safety valve shall comply with the requirements appropriate to the type of container to which it is fitted as follows—

  • (a)AS 2613 for a gas cylinder or an automotive fuel container; or
  • (b)AS 1210 for a pressure ship.
• 9.88.11.3Start-to-discharge setting

  The start-to-discharge setting of the safety valve shall be 2.55 MPa.

• 9.88.11.4Discharge from safety valve

  The discharge from the safety valve shall be such that there is no possibility of gaseous LPG discharging—

  • (a)on the container;
  • (b)towards any person in the vicinity;
  • (c)on adjacent ships; or
  • (d)towards or directly into the deckhouse or below deck.
• 9.88.11.5Discharge arrangements

  The following arrangements shall be considered as fulfilling the discharge requirements specified in subparagraph 9.88.11.4 —

  • (a)The discharge is directed into a sub-compartment or locker; and
  • (b)The discharge line to the point of discharge is rigid piping complying with all of the following—
    • (i)The size of piping and fittings and the general arrangement of the piping shall be such that the overall discharge capacity of the safety valve and the piping is not less than that specified by the manufacturer of the container;
    • (ii)The maximum length of the discharge line shall be 3m, which shall be reduced by 0.5m for each right-angle fitting, and 0.3m for each short-radius bend or sweep bend of radius less than 3 times the outside diameter of the pipe;
    • (iii)The piping shall have a pressure rating appropriate for the pressure of discharging gas;
    • (iv)Any connecting fitting attached to the safety valve outlet shall not interfere with the operation of the valve;
    • (v)The type of piping and the general design of the system shall be such that it cannot cause the safety valve to be damaged under normal conditions of ship operation or in an accident;
    • (vi)The piping system shall be arranged, and protected if necessary, to minimize the possibility of mechanical damage;
    • (vii)The point of discharge shall be fitted with a device to prevent the ingress of water and dirt; and
    • (viii)The direction of discharge shall be upwards, at an angle of not greater than 45° from the vertical.
  • (c)Provided that the manufacturer has confirmed that the flow rate remains adequate for the installation, an externally mounted container having no sub-compartment or locker may be fitted with a short discharge pipe, directional guide or baffle having an equivalent effect, to reduce the velocity of the discharge or direct it safely.

    NOTE:

    Fittings, piping attachments or deflectors that are attached to the outlet of the safety valve can interfere with the action of the valve or with gas flow so as to reduce the discharge flow rate.

The design, construction and installation of a locker shall be in accordance with the following—

• (a)A locker shall be vapour-tight to the interior of the ship, and shall be located above the waterline. It shall not be installed inside a deckhouse or below deck;
• (b)A locker shall provide adequate protection for the container under accident and impact conditions;
• (c)A locker shall be accessible from the top only and shall be fitted with a vapour tight cover. The vapour-tight cover shall be of such design as to enable it to be readily opened to facilitate operation of container valves and testing of the system for leakage;
• (d)A locker shall be vented at the bottom by a pipe of at least 25mm inside diameter, which shall be routed directly overboard through the hull to a point lower than the container but not closer than 230mm to the designed waterline in the loaded condition;
• (e)A locker shall not have electrical connections or wiring within it unless any electrical equipment or components inside the locker are suitable for use within a Zone 2 area, as defined in AS 2430.1;
• (f)A locker shall not be used for any purpose other than housing containers and associated equipment; and
• (g)For sailing ships, the drain outlet of a locker shall be located 230mm above the anticipated sustained heeled waterline.