BALLAST AND FIRE SYSTEM

WHAT IS BALLAST?
Ballast is a material that is used to provide
stability to a vehicle or structure. Ballast, other
than cargo, may be placed in a vehicle, often a ship
to provide stability. A compartment within a boat,
ship, submarine, or other floating structure that
holds water is called a ballast tank. Water should
move in and out from the ballast tank to balance
the ship. In a vessel that travels on the water, the
ballast will remain below the water level, to
counteract the effects of weight above the water
level. The ballast may be redistributed in the
vessel or disposed of altogether to change its
effects on the movement of the vessel.
WHAT IS A BALLAST WATER SYSTEM?
 A ballast water system allows a ship to pump
water in and out of very large tanks to
compensate for a change in cargo load, shallow
draft conditions, or weather.

 Physical components of the system include;

pumps, distribution pipes, ballast water tanks,
treatment system, discharge system, and all the
valves, sensors, and controls to run the
equipment.
WHAT IS FIRE MAIN SYSTEM?
 Whilst the various types of portable
extinguishers form the front line attack against a
fire detected in its early stages, the fire main or
one of the other fixed fire-fighting installations is
used if a fire becomes established. The fire main
extends to the full length of the ship and from the
machinery spaces to the highest levels. Hydrants
served by the main, are situated so that with
suitable hoses any area on the ship can be
reached.
 Water is the chief fire fighting medium on a ship
and the fire main is the basic installation for
fighting fires. The system shown below has two
independently powered pumps which are also
used for general service and ballast. These
pumps supply two engine room hydrants and the
deck main through the isolating valve which
must be accessible from outside of the machinery
space.
 The latter is required in the fire main system to
prevent loss of water through damaged pipe work in
the engine room if, to maintain the deck supply, the
emergency fire pumps has to be used. The emergency
fire pump is shown as being situated in the tunnel,
with a supply to deck fire main through tunnel escape
and also both hydrants in the shaft tunnel by the
engine room water tight door. The deck main has a
drain at the lowest position so that the pipe can be
emptied(particularly of freshwater) in cold weather.
If this is not done, the pipe can be damaged by the
water freezing, but more important the pipe will be
blocked by the ice and not usable.
APPLICATION FIRE MAIN SYSTEM ON
BOARD

 The latter is required in the fire main system to

prevent loss of water through damaged pipe work
in the engine room , if to maintain the deck
supply, the emergency fire pumps has to be used.

 In case of fire, the Fire main system will do its

job to cease the fire in the ship
APPLICATION OF BALLAST ON BOARD
 Ballast is used to provide stability or balance to a
ship. A compartment within ship that holds
water is called a ballast tank. Water should move
in and out from the ballast tank to balance the
ship
MAINTAINING PARAMETER IN THE FIRE
MAIN SYSTEM
 Pressure- any pump installed for use as a fire
pump must be designed to deliver an adequate
volume of water at a pressure sufficient to
operate fog nozzles efficiently at the upper deck
levels. On the largest ships fire pumps are
designed to operate at 150 pounds per square
inch pressure.

Capacity- Diesel driven emergency fire pump

capacity > 25 m3/h
MAINTAINING PARAMETERS IN THE
BALLAST SYSTEM
 Capacity- Ballast capacity can range from several
cubic meters in sailing boats and fishing boats to
hundreds of thousands of cubic meters in large
cargo carriers.

 Pumping Rates- Ballast replaces cargo 5,000 –

10,000 Typical Pumping Rates (m3/h).