An experimental ethylene carrier gassing-up operation

Gas carriers are one of the most advanced types of ships and are equipped with the latest technological achievements. Due to the development of this industry, the demand for ethylene transport by sea has increased significantly in recent years. Nonetheless, it is one of the most problematic loads in terms of loading operations. Due to the small density differences between ethylene and nitrogen, ethylene is one of the most problematic hydrocarbons with respect to the efficient gasification of cargo tanks. Additionally, ethylene is one of the most expensive cargoes carried on gas carriers. The above aspects make it necessary to carry out a detailed analysis of the flushing of nitrogen-loaded cargo tanks with ethylene vapors to determine the range of technical parameters to enable more efficient tank gassing-up. This paper provides a detailed analysis of an experimental cargo tank gassing-up operation on an ethylene carrier. The process was carried out in accordance with previously-determined assumptions to optimize the discussed operations, assess how the cargo tank pressure influences this process, reduce cargo loss during gassing-up, and eliminate cargo loss during its cooling. The conclusions from this experiment provide guidelines for subsequent tests.