# Flume Tanks in tankers



## John Campbell (Aug 30, 2005)

I am writing an article about the Texaco Westminster , a tanker built withour bilge keels but with Tanks 3X constructed as a Flume tank. It was a spectacular sight to see it in operation when in ballast but it played hell with tank ladders and was not much good and bilge keels were retro fitted. Does anyone on our site have any experience of flume tank operation?
JC


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## Spurling Pipe (Feb 20, 2012)

Noisy as well! The whole philosophy was based on flow of liquid in the tanks being out of phase with roll period


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## James_C (Feb 17, 2005)

John,
I presume you mean that instead of 3 across being constructed as 3P/3C/3S, it was a single common tank?
I've sailed with flume tanks on Ro-Ro's, however these had the double benefit of roll stabilisation and reducing GM as they're built above the upper deck. 
Some years ago I did sail briefly on a double hulled tanker (130000dwt) with the usual P+S U-shaped ballast tanks, however one set was common which I think was 4 across, and presumably this worked on the flume principle. I could be wrong as I was only onboard for 6 weeks and can't otherwise remember much about it (I try to suppress most of my tanker memories these days!).


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## jimthehat (Aug 5, 2006)

John Campbell said:


> I am writing an article about the Texaco Westminster , a tanker built withour bilge keels but with Tanks 3X constructed as a Flume tank. It was a spectacular sight to see it in operation when in ballast but it played hell with tank ladders and was not much good and bilge keels were retro fitted. Does anyone on our site have any experience of flume tank operation?
> JC


sailed for years on a ship that had flume tanks and she still rolled like nothing on earth.
She was an ex US landing ship that had been bought by the germans and used as a prison ship she was then bought by our company ,underwent a complete refit and entered service with A.S.n in 1967 and named the Celtic ferry,she then ran during the winter months from felixstowe to Antwerp ,was laid up during the summer in barrow, and finally taken out of service in 1974 and sold the following year.
I think that the company supers just looked at the huge hole that was her cargo deck,but I dont know if she was profitable,We normally had 2 tugs leaving Felixstowe and 2 on arrival. At Antwerp it was two tugs into the locks and 2 out to the berth and the same on departure.
She was twin screw steam turbines,quietest ship ever and no vibration.

jim


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## Varley (Oct 1, 2006)

Sonehaven (therfore Esso Mercia?) had flume tanks. Between Eilat and Persia there was not often the weather to see how effective they were. Some spectacular water trees (lest the greens pillory me) when tank cleaning with ullage port/tanks open in moderate rolling.


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## jamesgpobog (Feb 18, 2012)

John Campbell said:


> I am writing an article about the Texaco Westminster , a tanker built withour bilge keels but with Tanks 3X constructed as a Flume tank. It was a spectacular sight to see it in operation when in ballast but it played hell with tank ladders and was not much good and bilge keels were retro fitted. Does anyone on our site have any experience of flume tank operation?
> JC



Just read about them. So what's the general consensus on them? Work or no?


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## Klaatu83 (Jan 22, 2009)

The first ship I was on as 3rd Mate had flume tanks. That was the old USNS Bowditch, which was originally built during WW-II and which was scrapped many years ago. The tanks were added on when the ship was converted from a general cargo ship into a survey vessel. Although I never had anything to do with their operation, the ship rolled very deeply and stiffly, and those tanks certainly didn't seem to do much to alleviate that condition.


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## Derek Roger (Feb 19, 2005)

Thos. and Jno Brocklebanks mv Maihar and mv Mahsud had flume tanks fitted. They were located under the deck house between 3 and 4 hatches , The deck hosue was split Port side inert gas generator Stbd side was a small control room for the flume tanks which had the valves and gauges to determine what was in the tanks .
Cant remember the details now but the amount of water put into the tanks ( I think there were 2 ) was critical a dependant on the ships GM and exsisting period of roll before filling to a determined level . 
My experience was that they worked well when filled correctl ; in really heavey weather they tended to loose a lot of water through the air pipes . If this was not refilled to the correct levels they were not as effective .

Regards Derek


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## MervynHutton (Feb 1, 2008)

John Campbell said:


> I am writing an article about the Texaco Westminster , a tanker built withour bilge keels but with Tanks 3X constructed as a Flume tank. It was a spectacular sight to see it in operation when in ballast but it played hell with tank ladders and was not much good and bilge keels were retro fitted. Does anyone on our site have any experience of flume tank operation?
> JC


Hi John,

Have just posted a bit about Flume tanks under Tanker section, Texaco Hamburg. Can talk to you about her system a bit more if you pm me. It sure as hell didn't work anyway!!


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