Regulation 35-1 - Bilge pumping arrangements
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Regulation 35-1 - Bilge pumping arrangements

  1 This regulation applies to ships constructed on or after 1 January 2009.

  2 Passenger ships and cargo ships

  • 2.1 An efficient bilge pumping system shall be provided, capable of pumping from and draining any watertight compartment other than a space permanently appropriated for the carriage of fresh water, water ballast, oil fuel or liquid cargo and for which other efficient means of pumping are provided, under all practical conditions. Efficient means shall be provided for draining water from insulated holds.

  • 2.2 Sanitary, ballast and general service pumps may be accepted as independent power bilge pumps if fitted with the necessary connections to the bilge pumping system.

  • 2.3 All bilge pipes used in or under coal bunkers or fuel storage tanks or in boiler or machinery spaces, including spaces in which oil-settling tanks or oil fuel pumping units are situated, shall be of steel or other suitable material.

  • 2.4 The arrangement of the bilge and ballast pumping system shall be such as to prevent the possibility of water passing from the sea and from water ballast spaces into the cargo and machinery spaces, or from one compartment to another. Provision shall be made to prevent any deep tank having bilge and ballast connections being inadvertently flooded from the sea when containing cargo, or being discharged through a bilge pump when containing water ballast.

  • 2.5 All distribution boxes and manually operated valves in connection with the bilge pumping arrangements shall be in positions which are accessible under ordinary circumstances.

  • 2.6 Provision shall be made for the drainage of enclosed cargo spaces situated on the bulkhead deck of a passenger ship and on the freeboard deck of a cargo ship, provided that the Administration may permit the means of drainage to be dispensed with in any particular compartment of any ship or class of ship if it is satisfied that by reason of size or internal subdivision of those spaces the safety of the ship is not thereby impaired. For ships subject to the provisions of regulation II-1/1.1.1.1, for the special hazards associated with loss of stability when fitted with fixed pressure water-spraying fire-extinguishing systems refer to regulation II-2/20.6.1.4.

    • 2.6.1 Where the freeboard to the bulkhead deck or the freeboard deck, respectively, is such that the deck edge is immersed when the ship heels more than 5°, the drainage shall be by means of a sufficient number of scuppers of suitable size discharging directly overboard, fitted in accordance with the requirements of regulation 15 in the case of a passenger ship and the requirements for scuppers, inlets and discharges of the International Convention on Load Lines in force in the case of a cargo ship.

    • 2.6.2 Where the freeboard is such that the edge of the bulkhead deck or the edge of the freeboard deck, respectively, is immersed when the ship heels 5° or less, the drainage of the enclosed cargo spaces on the bulkhead deck or on the freeboard deck, respectively, shall be led to a suitable space, or spaces, of adequate capacity, having a high water level alarm and provided with suitable arrangements for discharge overboard. In addition it shall be ensured that:

      • .1 the number, size and disposition of the scuppers are such as to prevent unreasonable accumulation of free water;

      • .2 the pumping arrangements required by this regulation for passenger ships or cargo ships, as applicable, take account of the requirements for any fixed pressure water-spraying fire extinguishing system;

      • .3 water contaminated with petrol or other dangerous substances is not drained to machinery spaces or other spaces where sources of ignition may be present; and

      • .4 where the enclosed cargo space is protected by a carbon dioxide fire extinguishing system the deck scuppers are fitted with means to prevent the escape of the smothering gas.

    • 2.6.3 Provisions for the drainage of closed vehicle and ro-ro spaces and special category spaces shall also comply with regulations II-2/20.6.1.4 and II-2/20.6.1.5.

  3 Passenger ships

  • 3.1 The bilge pumping system required by paragraph 2.1 shall be capable of operation under all practicable conditions after a casualty whether the ship is upright or listed. For this purpose wing suctions shall generally be fitted except in narrow compartments at the end of the ship where one suction may be sufficient. In compartments of unusual form, additional suctions may be required. Arrangements shall be made whereby water in the compartment may find its way to the suction pipes. Where, for particular compartments, the Administration is satisfied that the provision of drainage may be undesirable, it may allow such provision to be dispensed with if calculations made in accordance with the conditions laid down in regulations 7 and 8 show that the survival capability of the ship will not be impaired.

  • 3.2 At least three power pumps shall be fitted connected to the bilge main, one of which may be driven by the propulsion machinery. Where the bilge pump numeral is 30 or more, one additional independent power pump shall be provided.

    The bilge pump numeral shall be calculated as follows:

    when P 1 is greater than P: bilge pump numeral =
    in other cases: bilge pump numeral =
    where:
    L = the length of the ship (metres), as defined in regulation 2;
    M = the volume of the machinery space (cubic metres), as defined in regulation 2, that is below the bulkhead deck; with the addition thereto of the volume of any permanent oil fuel bunkers which may be situated above the inner bottom and forward of, or abaft, the machinery space;
    P = the whole volume of the passenger and crew spaces below the bulkhead deck (cubic metres), which are provided for the accommodation and use of passengers and crew, excluding baggage, store and provision rooms;
    V = the whole volume of the ship below the bulkhead deck (cubic metres);
    P 1 = KN,
    = where:
    N = the number of passengers for which the ship is to be certified; and
    K = 0.056L
    = However, where the value of KN is greater than the sum of P and the whole volume of the actual passenger spaces above the bulkhead deck, the figure to be taken as P 1 is that sum or two-thirds KN, whichever is the greater.

  • 3.3 Where practicable, the power bilge pumps shall be placed in separate watertight compartments and so arranged or situated that these compartments will not be flooded by the same damage. If the main propulsion machinery, auxiliary machinery and boilers are in two or more watertight compartments, the pumps available for bilge service shall be distributed as far as is possible throughout these compartments.

  • 3.4 On a ship of 91.5 m in length L and upwards or having a bilge pump numeral, calculated in accordance with paragraph 3.2, of 30 or more, the arrangements shall be such that at least one power bilge pump shall be available for use in all flooding conditions which the ship is required to withstand, and, for ships subject to the provisions of regulation II-1/1.1.1.1, in all flooding conditions derived from consideration of minor damages as specified in regulation 8 as follows:

    • .1 one of the required bilge pumps shall be an emergency pump of a reliable submersible type having a source of power situated above the bulkhead deck; or

    • .2 the bilge pumps and their sources of power shall be so distributed throughout the length of the ship that at least one pump in an undamaged compartment will be available.

  • 3.5 With the exception of additional pumps which may be provided for peak compartments only, each required bilge pump shall be so arranged as to draw water from any space required to be drained by paragraph 2.1.

  • 3.6 Each power bilge pump shall be capable of pumping water through the required main bilge pipe at a speed of not less than 2 m/s. Independent power bilge pumps situated in machinery spaces shall have direct suctions from these spaces, except that not more than two such suctions shall be required in any one space. Where two or more such suctions are provided, there shall be at least one on each side of the ship. The Administration may require independent power bilge pumps situated in other spaces to have separate direct suctions. Direct suctions shall be suitably arranged and those in a machinery space shall be of a diameter not less than that required for the bilge main.

  • 3.7.1 In addition to the direct bilge suction or suctions required by paragraph 3.6, a direct suction from the main circulating pump leading to the drainage level of the machinery space and fitted with a non-return valve shall be provided in the machinery space. The diameter of this direct suction pipe shall be at least two thirds of the diameter of the pump inlet in the case of steamships, and of the same diameter as the pump inlet in the case of motorships.

  • 3.7.2 Where in the opinion of the Administration the main circulating pump is not suitable for this purpose, a direct emergency bilge suction shall be led from the largest available independent power driven pump to the drainage level of the machinery space; the suction shall be of the same diameter as the main inlet of the pump used. The capacity of the pump so connected shall exceed that of a required bilge pump by an amount deemed satisfactory by the Administration.

  • 3.7.3 The spindles of the sea inlet and direct suction valves shall extend well above the engine-room platform.

  • 3.8 All bilge suction piping up to the connection to the pumps shall be independent of other piping.

  • 3.9 The diameter d of the bilge main shall be calculated according to the following formula. However, the actual internal diameter of the bilge main may be rounded off to the nearest standard size acceptable to the Administration:

    where:
    d = is the internal diameter of the bilge main (millimetres);
    L and B = are the length and the breadth of the ship (metres) as defined in regulation 2; and
    D = is the moulded depth of the ship to the bulkhead deck (metres) provided that, in a ship having an enclosed cargo space on the bulkhead deck which is internally drained in accordance with the requirements of paragraph 2.6.2 and which extends for the full length of the ship, D shall be measured to the next deck above the bulkhead deck. Where the enclosed cargo spaces cover a lesser length, D shall be taken as the moulded depth to the bulkhead deck plus l h/L where l and h are the aggregate length and height respectively of the enclosed cargo spaces (metres). The diameter of the bilge branch pipes shall meet the requirements of the Administration.

  • 3.10 Provision shall be made to prevent the compartment served by any bilge suction pipe being flooded in the event of the pipe being severed or otherwise damaged by collision or grounding in any other compartment. For this purpose, where the pipe is at any part situated nearer the side of the ship than one fifth of the breadth of the ship (as defined in regulation 2 and measured at right angles to the centreline at the level of the deepest subdivision load line), or is in a duct keel, a non-return valve shall be fitted to the pipe in the compartment containing the open end. For ships subject to the provisions of regulation II-1/1.1.1.1, the deepest subdivision load line shall be taken as the deepest subdivision draught.

  • 3.11 Distribution boxes, cocks and valves in connection with the bilge pumping system shall be so arranged that, in the event of flooding, one of the bilge pumps may be operative on any compartment; in addition, damage to a pump or its pipe connecting to the bilge main outboard of a line drawn at one fifth of the breadth of the ship shall not put the bilge system out of action. If there is only one system of pipes common to all the pumps, the necessary valves for controlling the bilge suctions must be capable of being operated from above the bulkhead deck. Where in addition to the main bilge pumping system an emergency bilge pumping system is provided, it shall be independent of the main system and so arranged that a pump is capable of operating on any compartment under flooding condition as specified in paragraph 3.1; in that case only the valves necessary for the operation of the emergency system need be capable of being operated from above the bulkhead deck.

  • 3.12 All cocks and valves referred to in paragraph 3.11 which can be operated from above the bulkhead deck shall have their controls at their place of operation clearly marked and shall be provided with means to indicate whether they are open or closed.

  4 Cargo ships

At least two power pumps connected to the main bilge system shall be provided, one of which may be driven by the propulsion machinery. If the Administration is satisfied that the safety of the ship is not impaired, bilge pumping arrangements may be dispensed with in particular compartments.

Parent topic: Part C - Machinery installations
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