CHANGE OVER FROM PROPANE TO AMMONIA

November 2007 / LPGc GENT Master: J. Ducarme Ch.Off: C. Sensen Ch.Eng: L. Van Arkkels

1. Liquid freeing
18th November 2007

00.24: Start liquid freeing tank 1, (56.9 mBar and -41.9C sump) with center and SB RUs @ 100% HG. Tank 2 & 3 isolated. 05.00: Tank 1 ( 164 mBar & 5 C sump) Shifting to tank 2 (40 mBar ) tank 1 and 3 isolated 18.48: Start venting tank 1and 2; 165mb trough vapor line-manifold-overboard, when 120 mBar was reached, tank 3 was opened, reached that pressure by natural heating 23.48: Venting stopped, 3 tanks, (about 55 mBar) start to liquid freeing tank 2 with SB and center RUs at 100% HG Tank 1 & 3 isolated.

19th November 2007

08.18: Stopped tank 2 ( 96mb and all temp above -10 C) started with tank 3 (65mb) PS and SB RUs running, (cleaning of condensers in the mean time) 09.30: Started dry air for gas freeing hold spaces / all in parallel, Top In/Bottom Out, 13.48: Started tank 1, stopped tank 3 (160mb). 17.30: Started 3rd RU on tank 1 20.00: Start venting tank 3 (160 mBar) and tank 1 & 2 (120mb)

20th November 2007

02.07: Stopped venting tank 1 & 2 (20 mBar) and tank 3 (30 mBar) start 3 RUs on tank 3 05.06: Tank 3 warmed up ( 50 mBar and lowest temp -9C ) Start venting tank 3 only 05.30: Tank 3 vented down to 20 mBar, liquid freeing finished, spool pieces to be changed before continuing, accordions to be placed. 09.30: Stopped venting hold spaces, closing hatches and pressurizing to 110 mBar

Remarks:

To be more efficient, all tanks were liquid freed independently As we had to clean condensers, we used 2 compressors instead of 3; the time spent to liquid freeing could be reduced. We could reduce the time if we had used the vent mast instead of the manifold, this means that we could use the compressors while venting, (vapor inlet of compressors was the vapor line used to vent). Both systems of vapor line were connected from inside compressor room, condensate line

2. Gas freeing with IG & Purging with dry air

20th November 2007

11.30: Spool pieces in place, Started IG 3-2-1 in cascade TIBO, pressure in the tanks was first reduced to 20 mBar building pressure with closed outlet. 12.00: Start opening outlet to vent mast on tank 1, pressure inside about 70 mBar 17.10: Purging of compressors (25 min) from vapor line 3 to condensate line sump tank 1, all running 1 by 1 at 50% 17.40: Tank 3 gassed in, pumps and nonius purged 19.50: Tank 2 gassed in, pumps and nonius purged 23.00: Start blowing lines, liquid line booster heater- other lines already purged together with the compressors.

21st November 2007

00.00: Tank 1 gassed in, pumps and nonius purged 00.38: IG shifted to dry air, TIBO in cascade 3-2-1, nothing to be changed on deck. 03.00: Tank 3 gas freed, pumps and nonius purged 05.00: purging of compressors (20min) from vapor line 3 to condensate line sump tank 1, all running 1 by 1 at 50% 07.00: Tank 2 gas freed, pumps and nonius purged 10.15: Start blowing lines, liquid line booster heater other lines already done together with the compressors. 11.06: Start sending dry air to deck tank 11.30: Tank 1 gas freed, pumps and nonius purged 13.36: Stopped dry air into deck tank dry air finished 14.00: Started to connect system 1 to system 2. a. Vapor line from inside compressor room and elbow near crossovers b. Liquid line from 2 elbows near crossovers c. Condensate line only from inside compressor room, to be able to isolate 1 system when drain cocks have to be overhauled.

3. Loading coolant in deck tank, 50 MT

22nd November 2007

07.18: Inspection of cargo tanks started, (introducing wet air in cargo tanks???) 08.24: Inspection completed & tank inspection certificate issued 08.25: For safety reason, pressure test and loading delayed by chief officer, till cargo hatches are not closed 10.12: Start pressure test (8 min) 10.35: Start loading 11.43: 4.38 MT in deck tank 12.40: 21.150 MT in deck tank max rate about 20 MT 14.15: Loading completed, loaded 49.388 MT 17.30: Leaving berth, changing spool pieces on deck (one accordion to be put back in place 20.12: Vessel at anchor, connecting small hose for booster heater (leaking) 20.30: Releasing pressure of liquid line into the booster heater.

4. Gassing in & Cooling down

22nd November 2007

21.50: Start gassing in 3-2-1 in cascade TIBO via booster heater, condensate line and deck tank, vapors entering tank 3 via vapor line. Building pressure till 100 mBar before opening outlet to vent mast on tank 1.

23rd November 2007

00.00: Deck tank pressure 4.2 bars 00.30: 2 fire hoses spraying over the top of deck tank pressure 4.5 bars 02.00: Tank 3 (top 98 % ammonia, nonius 70%) 03.30: Tank 3 (pumps & nonius 98%) gassed in 04.30: Tank 2 (top 97%) start spray on tank 3 09.20: Tank 2 gassed in tank 3 by passed cooling down start spraying tank 2 10.00: Tank 1 (top 97%) 14.21: Gassing in finish tank 1 bottom, pumps & nonius 98%, closing outlet to vent mast 14.45: Start 1 compressor @ 100% to top spray tank 2, Deck tank closed 15.20: Start top spray tank 1 16.15: Star 2nd compressor at 100% and starting to shift from 1 tank to another with top spray fully open and sump cracked open.

24th November 2007

12.10: Deck tank empty, only vapors remaining. 20.30: Cooled down. NOR tendered.

Remark:

Cooling down could have been some hours faster if all compressors had running well, but fisher valves were not overhauled well in dry dock. Only 2 compressors could be used more or less correctly.

General remarks: