Is there a unified standard for the unloading interfaces of LNG carriers?
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Our company wants to develop an LNG receiving robotic arm, and the designer said we need to find out what size interfaces are used on ships. . . . I checked online and it says that the standard size is usually 16”, with larger sizes of 20” available. Could someone in the industry give me a professional answer?
Similar to the original poster’s question, seeking an answer.
This requires considering factors such as your operational scope, differences in ship types, dock layout, pressure drop losses, flow rates, and structural differences to determine what size is needed for your work. As receiving stations become larger, in addition to meeting the requirements of the conventional small LNG carriers with a capacity of 30,000 cubic meters, they must also accommodate LNG carriers of the Q-max class.
We are mainly considering LNG carriers of around 6-8 tons, capable of carrying 150,000 cubic meters of LNG. Are there standard interface sizes for vessels of this size?
Hey, this isn’t just a matter related to the ship alone – aren’t you being too hasty? Still, here is my final advice: since you are dealing with a regular receiving station of a capacity between 80,000 and 210,000 cubic meters, consider using 16-inch units in a configuration of X4 (3 in use and 1 as backup). From a maintenance perspective, opt for 16-inch units in an X5 configuration (4 in use and 1 as backup). If you plan to upgrade to handle larger ships in the future, then choose 20-inch units.
Understood. Our company is in the downstream sector, so we’re not very familiar with this area. Thank you for helping to answer these questions from someone who isn’t an expert in this field, :)