SHIPBOARD CONTROLLED-ATMOSPHERE PLANTS - SELECTION, INSTALLATION, ANDOPERATION

The increasing demand for marine transportation of agricultural produc e under controlled atmosphere (CA) conditions is leading owners of ref rigerated ships to provide permanently installed on-board nitrogen gen erating plants and atmosphere control systems. The selection of the sh ipboard CA gas generating plant must take into account the vessel type , the cargoes to be carried, and the range of controlled atmosphere co nditions to be achieved for different commodities. The shipboard CA ga s generating plant can be situated on the ship's weather deck, install ed in the vessel's main or auxiliary machinery spaces, located in a se parate CA compartment, or a combination of these options. Ventilation of all spaces containing CA generating equipment and pipelines, combin ed with atmosphere monitoring and alarms, and safety training of all c oncerned personnel, provides an acceptable level of safety. Experience with installation and operation of shipboard CA systems demonstrates that, with careful attention to sealing of the cargo spaces, proper eq uipment selection and installation in accordance with classification s ociety guidelines, a successful shipboard CA installation can be achie ved.