33 CFR 154.2001 – Definitions
As used in this subpart only:
Ambient temperature means the temperature of the environment in which an experiment is conducted or in which any physical or chemical event occurs.
Barge cargo connection means the point in a barge’s cargo system where it connects with the hose assembly or loading arm used for cargo transfer.
Barge vapor connection means the point in a barge’s piping system where it connects to a vapor collection hose or arm. This may be the same as the barge’s cargo connection as it controls vapors during barge cargo tank-cleaning operations.
Base loading means a method of inerting, enriching, or diluting such that sufficient inerting, enriching, or diluting gas, for the worst concentration of vapor coming from the vessel, is injected into the vapor line during the entire loading operation so that the vapor mixture is inerted, enriched, or diluted at the maximum loading rate. For inerting and enriching systems, “worst concentration” means the vapor stream contains no cargo vapor. For a diluting system, “worst concentration” means the vapor stream is saturated with cargo vapor.
Captain of the Port (COTP) means the Coast Guard Captain of the Port as defined in 33 CFR 154.105.
Certifying entity means an individual or organization accepted by the Commandant to review plans, data, and calculations for vapor control system designs and to conduct inspections and observe tests of vapor control system installations.
Cleaning operation means any stripping, gas-freeing, or tank-washing operation of a barge’s cargo tanks conducted at a cleaning facility.
Combustible liquid means any liquid that has a flashpoint above 80 °F (as determined from an open-cup tester, as used to test burning oils) and includes Grade D and Grade E combustible liquids defined in 46 CFR 30.10-15.
Commandant means Commandant (CG-ENG), U.S. Coast Guard, 2100 2nd St. SW., Stop 7126, Washington, DC 20593-7126.
Detonation arrester means a device that is acceptable to the Commandant and includes a detonation arrester that is designed, built, and tested in accordance with Appendix A of this part or by another method acceptable to the Commandant for arresting flames and detonations.
Diluting means introducing a non-flammable, non-combustible, and non-reactive gas with the objective of reducing the hydrocarbon content of a vapor mixture to below the lower flammable limit so that it will not burn.
Drip leg means a section of piping that extends below piping grade to collect liquid passing through the vapor line and that has a diameter no more than the diameter of the pipe in which it is installed.
Elevated temperature means the temperature that exceeds 70 percent of the auto-ignition temperature, in degrees Celsius, of the vapors being collected.
Enriching means introducing a flammable gas with the objective of raising the hydrocarbon content of a vapor mixture above the upper flammable limit so that it will not burn.
Existing vapor control system means a vapor control system that satisfies the requirements of 33 CFR part 154, subpart E as certified by a certifying entity, or a tank barge cleaning facility vapor control system that meets the safety Standards of Navigation and Vessel Inspection Circular No. 1-96 as certified by a certifying entity or approved by the U.S. Coast Guard, and that began operating prior to August 15, 2013.
Facility main vapor control system means a vapor control system that primarily serves facility processing areas unrelated to tank vessel operations, such as the plant process, tank storage areas, or tank truck or railcar loading areas.
Facility operations manual means the manual required by 33 CFR 154.300, the contents of which are described in 33 CFR 154.310.
Facility vapor connection means the point in a facility’s vapor collection system where it connects to a vapor collection hose or the base of a vapor collection arm and is located at the dock as close as possible to the tank vessel to minimize the length of the flexible vapor collection hose, thus reducing the hazards associated with the hose.
Fail-safe means a piece of equipment or instrument that is designed such that if any element should fail, it would go to a safe condition.
Fixed stripping line means a pipe extending to the low point of each cargo tank, welded through the deck and terminating above the deck with a valve plugged at the open end.
Flame arrester means a device that is designed, built, and tested in accordance with ASTM F 1273 or UL 525 (both incorporated by reference, see 33 CFR 154.106) for use in end-of-line applications for arresting flames.
Flame screen means a fitted single screen of corrosion-resistant wire of at least 30-by-30 mesh, or two fitted screens, both of corrosion-resistant wire, of at least 20-by-20 mesh, spaced apart not fewer than 12.7 millimeters (0.5 inch) or more than 38.1 millimeters (1.5 inches).
Flammable liquid means any liquid that gives off flammable vapors (as determined by flashpoint from an open-cup tester, as used to test burning oils) at or below a temperature of 80 °F, and includes Grades A, B, and C flammable liquids defined in 46 CFR 30.10-22.
Fluid displacement system means a system that removes vapors from a barge’s cargo tanks during gas freeing through the addition of an inert gas or other medium into the cargo tank.
Fluid injection connection means the point in a fluid displacement system at which the fixed piping or hose that supplies the inert gas or other medium connects to a barge’s cargo tanks or fixed piping system.
Gas freeing means the removal of vapors from a tank barge.
Grade A, B, C, D, or E means any Grade A, B, or C flammable liquid defined in 46 CFR 30.10-22 or any Grade D or E combustible liquid defined in 46 CFR 30.10-15.
High flash point cargoes means Grade E cargoes and cargoes having a closed-cup flash point higher than 60 °C (140 °F), carried at a temperature no higher than 5 °C (9 °F) below their flash points.
Inert condition or inerted means the oxygen content of the vapor space in a tank vessel’s cargo tank is reduced to 60 percent or less by volume of the vapor’s minimum oxygen concentration for combustion, or to 8 percent by volume or less for the vapor of crude oil, gasoline blends, or benzene, by addition of an inert gas, in accordance with the inert gas requirements of 46 CFR 32.53 or 46 CFR 153.500.
Inerting means introducing an inert gas into a tank and/or piping system to lower the oxygen content of a vapor mixture.
Line clearing means the transfer of residual cargo from a cargo loading line toward a cargo tank by using compressed inert gas.
Liquid knockout vessel means a device, other than a drip leg, used to separate liquid from vapor.
Maximum allowable gas-freeing rate means the maximum volumetric rate at which a barge may be gas-freed during cleaning operations.
Maximum allowable stripping rate means the maximum volumetric rate at which a barge may be stripped during cleaning operations prior to the opening of any hatch and/or fitting in the cargo tank being stripped.
Maximum allowable transfer rate means the maximum volumetric rate at which a vessel may receive cargo or ballast.
Minimum oxygen concentration for combustion or MOCC means the lowest level of oxygen in a vapor or a vapor mixture that will support combustion.
Multi-breasted barge-loading operations are those in which barges load side by side with the outboard barge’s vapor collection system connected to a facility vapor connection through the inboard barge, as opposed to single-breasted operations involving a single barge, and may also be known as “two barge, double-up” loading operations.
Multiple facility vapor collection system junction means the point in the vapor collection system where two or more branch lines originating from separate facility vapor connections are connected.
New vapor control system means a vapor control system that is not an existing vapor control system.
Padding means introducing into a tank and associated piping system with an inert gas or liquid which separates the cargo from air, and maintaining the condition.
Partially inerted means the oxygen content of the vapor space in a tank is reduced to below what is normally present in the atmosphere by the addition of an inert gas such as nitrogen or carbon dioxide, but not to the concentration that meets the definition of “inert condition or inerted” in this section.
Pig means any device designed to maintain a tight seal within a cargo line while being propelled by compressed inert gas towards a cargo tank, for the purpose of transferring residual cargo from the cargo loading line to the cargo tank.
Pigging means the transfer of residual cargo from a cargo loading line by using compressed inert gas to propel a “pig” through the line toward a cargo tank.
Pre-transfer conference means the conference required by 33 CFR 156.120(w).
Purging means introducing an inert gas into a tank and/or piping system to further reduce the existing hydrocarbon and/or oxygen content to a level below which combustion cannot be supported if air is subsequently introduced into the tank or piping system.
Stripping means the removal, to the maximum extent practicable, of cargo residue remaining in the barge’s cargo tanks and associated fixed piping system after cargo transfer or during cleaning operations.
Tank barge cleaning facility or TBCF means a facility used or capable of being used to conduct cleaning operations on a tank barge.
Transfer facility means a facility as defined in 33 CFR 154.105, excluding tank barge cleaning or stripping facilities.
Vacuum displacement system means a system that removes vapors from a barge’s cargo tanks during gas freeing by sweeping air through the cargo tank hatch openings.
Vapor balancing means the transfer of vapor displaced by incoming cargo from the tank of a vessel or facility receiving cargo into a tank of the vessel or facility delivering cargo via facility vapor collection system.
Vapor collection system means an arrangement of piping and hoses used to collect vapor emitted to or from a vessel’s cargo tanks and to transport the vapor to a vapor processing unit or a tank.
Vapor control system or VCS means an arrangement of piping and equipment used to control vapor emissions collected to or from a vessel and includes the vapor collection system and the vapor processing unit or a tank.
Vapor destruction unit means a vapor processing unit that destroys cargo vapor by a thermal destruction method.
Vapor dispersion unit means a vapor processing unit that releases cargo vapor into the atmosphere through a venting system not located on the tank vessel.
Vapor processing unit means the components of a vapor control system that recover, destroy, or disperse vapor collected from a vessel.
Vapor recovery unit means a vapor processing unit that recovers cargo vapor by nondestructive means.
Vessel vapor connection means the point in a vessel’s fixed vapor collection system where it connects to a vapor collection hose or arm.