DEEP TANK

Deep tanks are tanks on board ship in which liquid cargoes are
transported.
Deep tanks may be found on board Tankers, they may also be
constructed on board general cargo ships.
Deep tanks on board Tanker ships are generally located abaft the
collision bulkhead. These tanks are only used for storing extra
fuel on ships which make long international voyages, or calling at
port where bunkers are not readily, or not at a competitive price.
Deep tanks extend through the depth and breadth of the ship
abaft the collision bulkhead, in addition forward and aft of the
deep tank a void space is retained known as the cofferdam.
The deep tanks and the cofferdam are sub-divided with one or
more longitudinal bulkhead. Fuel heating and pumping system
must be fitted.
On Board General cargo ships, deep tanks are of two types:
1. Dedicated liquid carrier deep tanks.
2. Multi-purpose deep tanks
CHARACTERISTICS OF DEEP TANK CARGOES
1. DEDICATED DEEP TANKS
Location of the dedicated deep tanks are planned during the
constructional stage of the ship.
In case of a single deck General cargo ship, deep tanks extend
from the tank top to weather deck, this volume could be a part of
the cargo hold or a entire small hold.
ln case of a Tween Deck General ship, Deep tank could be a part
of the lower hold.

ln cases of dedicated Deep tanks in a tween deck ship, the man

hole will be of the ushed to deck, however, in case ofa single
deck ship, flushed or coaming type of man hole may be found.
2. MULTI - PURPOSE DEEP TANKS
ln case of a single deck General cargo ship, deep tanks extend
from the tank top to weather deck, this volume could be a part of
the cargo hold or a entire small hold.
ln case of a Tween Deck General ship, Deep tank could be a part
of the lower hold.
ln cases of Multi-purpose Deep tanks in a tween deck of a single
deck ship, the access way will be of large hatch cover type ,
suitable for small general cargo operations.
GENERAL
In case of dedicated deep tanks, cargo heating coil arrangements
could be open on the tank top or concealed under the tank top,
however, in case of multi-purpose tanks, cargo heating system
will
always be concealed under the tank top and bilge pumping
arrangements must be provided.
ln both cases, extra strengthening of the Bulkheads, shipside and
tank top must be provided; the tanks must be provided with
sounding and air pipes.
Temperature may or may not be provided
ON BOARD GENERAL. CARGO SHIP - TWEEN /
SINGLEDDECKER.
Deep Tanks" are specially designed compartments for carriage of
Dry Cargoes, liquid cargoes or ballast, these tanks may be
located in the Lower Hold in case of Tween Decker or extend
throughout the depth of the cargo hold in case of Single Decker.

Deep Tanks may be designed for multipurpose use QR

designated for liquids only. In case of multipurpose deep tanks,
General Cargoes / Dry Bulk Cargoes can be loaded and stowed
through large tank openings provided on the Tween Deck /
weather deck; the closing arrangements is with heavy steel
covers designed with suitable securing arrangement tor water
tightness. The opening can be at Tween Deck level or on the
Weather Deck.
In case of deep tank designated for liquids only, the tank opening
design can be of flushed manhole type or tank access way of
coaming type. In both cases the covers must be Water Tight.
ON BOARD TANKERS
The deep tank is generally located abaft the Collision Bulkhead
and forward of the cargo tank.
A cofferdam is located Forward and Aft of the deep tank to avoid
contamination in case of a leakage/puncture in the water tight
bulk-head.
The deep tank is generally used for carriage of Ships fuel.
PARAMETERS OF DEEP TANK ON BOARD SHIP/GENERAL
CARGO & TANKERS.
Deep Tanks may be divided by a center line bulkhead to form
Port & Starboard tank. Deep tank tank is space confined between
center line bulkhead and Hull plating on each side of the ship;
Forward and Aft watertight bulkhead, and between Tank Top and
Tween Deck or weather deck as the case may be.
The shipside frames are closely spaced in way of deep tanks in
no case not more than 600 mm apart.
Tae Fore & Aft watertight bulkhead plates are thicker at the
bottom than normal bulkhead, enable them withstand the head
pressure exerted by the liquid.

The Fore & Aft bulkheads and center line bulkhead must he
adequately strengthened with vertical and horizontal stiffeners to
with stand the free surface effect.
The vertical stiffeners must be attached at the Deck Head & at
the tank top with brackets / knees.
The Deep Tanks must be pumping arrangements & heating coils
system.
The Deep Tanks, must be provided with Sounding pipe,
Temperature pipe, & Air pipe, they must be fitted with water tight
closing arrangements.
ln case of multipurpose deep tanks, hold bilge system must he
provided.

DEEP TANK
Deep tanks were often fitted adjacent to the machinery
spaces amidships to provide ballast capacity, improving
the draft with little trim, when the ship was light. These
tanks were frequently used for carrying general cargoes,
and also utilized to carry specialist liquid cargoes. In
cargo liners where the carriage of certain liquid cargoes
is common practice it was often an advantage to have
thedeep tanks adjacent to the machinery space for cargo
heating purposes. However in modern cargo liners they
may require to be judiciously placed in order to avoid
excessive stresses in different conditions of loading. Most
ships now have their machinery arranged aft or threequarters aft, and are fitted with deep tanks forward to
improve the trim in the light conditions.
construction of deep tanks Bulkheads which form the
boundaries of a deep tank differ from hold bulkheads in

that they are regularly subjected to a head of liquid. The

conventional hold bulkhead may be allowed to deflect
and tolerate high stresses on the rare occasions when it
has to withstand temporary flooding of a hold, but deep
tank bulkheads which are regularly loaded in this manner
are required to have greater rigidity, and be subject to
lower stresses. As a result the plate and stiffener
scantlings will be larger in way of deep tanks, and
additional stiffening may be introduced.
The greater plating thickness of the tank boundary
bulkheads increases with tank depth, and with increasing
stiffener spacing. To provide the greater rigidity the
vertical stiffeners are of heavier scantlings and more
closely spaced. They must be bracketed or welded to
some other form of stiffening member at their ends.
Vertical stiffener sizes may be reduced, however, by
fitting horizontal girders which form a continuous line of
support on the bulkheads and ship's side. These
horizontal girders are connected at their ends by flanged
brackets and are supported by tripping brackets at the
toes of the end brackets, and at every third stiffener or
frame. Intermediate

Where deep tanks are intended to carry oil fuel for the
ship's use, or oil cargoes, there will be a free surface,
and it is necessary to fit a centre line bulkhead where the
tanks extend from side to side of the ship. This bulkhead
may be intact or perforated, and where intact the
scantlings will be the same as for boundary bulkheads. If
perforated, the area of perforations is sufficient to reduce
liquid pressures, and the bulkhead stiffeners have
considerably reduced scantlings, surging being avoided
by limiting the perforation area.
Both swedged and corrugated plating can be used to
advantage in the construction of deep tanks since,
without the conventional stiffening, tanks are more easily
cleaned. With conventional welded stiffening it may be
convenient to arrange the stiffeners outside the tank so

that the boundary bulkhead has a plain inside for ease of

cleaning.
In cargo ships where various liquid cargoes are carried,
arrangements may be made to fit cofferdams between
deep tanks. As these tanks may also be fitted
immediately forward of the machine space, a pipe tunnel
is generally fitted through them with access from the
engine room. This tunnel carries the bilge piping as it is
undesirable to pass this through the deep tanks carrying
oil cargoes.
testing deep tanks Deep tanks are tested by subjecting
them to the maximum head of water to which they might
be subject in service (i.e. to the top of the air pipe). This
should not be less than 2.45 m above the crown of the
tank.