Custody transfer system

for LNG carriers

 Reliable tank gauging
for LNG carriers

Thousands of tons of liquefied natural gas rush through the pipes

into the tanks of your LNG carrier. Raising your eyes, you look

beyond the dazzling lights of the tank terminal into the dark sand

dunes behind.

Concentrating on the levels, temperatures and pressures in the tanks,

you feel confident that the Saab TankRadar system is giving you

instant, accurate, reliable information about your cargo.

This brochure tells you how your LNG carrier operation can become

more efficient and profitable with the Saab TankRadar custody

transfer system.

2
The Saab TankRadar custody transfer system
3
can be installed on LNG carriers with
either spherical or membrane type tanks.
All values from the Saab TankRadar system are available
4
on the Work Stations. The Work Stations are
based on PCs with a fast real time operating system. The system is operated using a light pen.
 In control of your cargo

The feeling of being in control and of
being able to rely on your equipment is
important to all professionals in tanker
operations. But, when your job is to
handle liquefied natural gas in a safe,
efficient way, this becomes significantly
important.
Knowing how much unscheduled down-
time costs, your Saab TankRadar system
will soon pay off with its reliable opera-
tion.
Accurate and reliable radar
measurement

With the Saab TankRadar custody trans-

We have put a lot of effort into making a
fer system for LNG carriers, you have
tank gauge that measures with high
reliable information so that you can safely
accuracy even under the most demand-
control your cargo operation.
ing circumstances. You receive accurate,
reliable figures during all stages of
No downtime due to repairs loading, transporting or discharging.
inside the tanks
The temperature and pressure sensors
are connected to the radar tank gauges,
With Saab TankRadar we introduce a
so that the Saab TankRadar system always
whole new way of measuring the cargo
gives you the complete picture of the
in LNG carriers. With the tank gauges on
cargo in your LNG tanks.
top of the tanks, there are no parts inside
the tanks that can break down or degrade.

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 Certified custody
transfer system
The costs of transporting gas and the cost
of the cargo places a lot of importance on
the custody transfer system on any LNG
carrier. The custody transfer system must
generate detailed and indisputable cargo
reports, based on accurate measurements
and calculations.
Saab TankRadar is a complete
custody transfer system for
LNG carriers.
The Saab TankRadar gauge measures
ullage, temperature and pressure. From
these values the Work Station calculates
for example, levels, vapor and liquid
average temperatures and cargo volumes
at average liquid temperature. It uses
certified tank tables and corrects for
parameters, such as thermal expansion of
the tank and the still pipe, the propaga-
tion speed of the radar waves in the
vapor space, trim and heel.
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Accuracy certified by NKKK
NKKK, the Japanese sworn surveyor, has
certified the Saab TankRadar system for
custody transfer. Saab TankRadar s
accuracy of 5 mm meets the requirement
of LNG exporters and importers. And all
the major classification societies have type
approved the Saab TankRadar system.
Verification at any time
Whenever company procedures or mea-
surement standards require verification,
the crew can easily verify the performance
of any of the Saab TankRadar gauges.
They just set it to measure the distance to
a verification pin inside the still pipe. This
pin is invisible to the tank gauge in nor-
mal operation.
Furthermore, the performance of the Saab
TankRadar gauges can be checked against
verifiers set to correspond to 20% and 80%
of the tanks level.
Detailed and indisputable cargo reports are generated
7 by the Saab TankRadar custody transfer system.
 Radar is the natural choice
for LNG carriers

In a tank that is -160 C, and may not be
opened for years, you really do not want
to have electrical cabling or moving
mechanical parts. Any failure on such
equipment inside the tank might result in
having to warm the tank, inert it, gasfree
it, enter into it to repair the failed equip-
ment, inert, purge and cool down the tank.
No LNG carrier operator wants to do
these time-consuming tasks.
Because the temperature sensors are
placed in a thermowell, they can easily be
replaced from outside the tank. Spare
temperature sensors are stored onboard
in the spare parts set.
The still pipe guides
the radar waves
The electronic box generates and trans-
mits radar waves into the cone antenna.

This is where radar tank gauging, with It provides a smooth transition for the

only the still pipe and the cone antenna waves into the still pipe. Because the still

inside the tank, comes into the picture. No pipe guides the radar waves, very little

equipment inside the tank can break signal energy is lost, which results in a

down or degrade in operation. The safety strong echo from the liquid surface.

risk involved when gasfreeing is elimi-

nated and no harmful gases have to be Saab TankRadar means
no maintenance
released to the environment.

No maintenance is required on the Saab

The electronic box of the Saab TankRadar
TankRadar system. This means years of
gauge is placed outside the tank. In the
trouble free operation, with highly accu-
unlikely event of a failure, the crew can
rate and reliable results calculated and
easily replace it with a certified spare. The
presented on the Work Stations.
tank gauge can be serviced, tested and
back in operation in less than an hour.

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 The Saab TankRadar gauges are9 installed on top of your tanks.
No equipment inside the tank can break down or degrade in operation.
 Electronic box
Pressure seal

Pressure sensor
Ball valve

Protective hose

Antenna cone Thermowell

Temperature sensor

Still pipe

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The Saab TankRadar gauge is installed on top of a still pipe.11The temperature sensors are installed in a thermowell.
This means that you can easily replace the electronic box and the temperature sensors, with the tank in operation.
 Convenient installation
Because the only parts inside the tank
are the still pipe, cone antenna and
thermowell, the installation of the Saab
TankRadar system is very convenient. It
can be installed on newbuildings or be
retrofitted on existing LNG carriers.
Reduced testing at shipyard
We put each Saab TankRadar system and
each tank gauge, including the still pipe,
through a factory acceptance test, that is
also supervised by a sworn surveyor,
before delivery. This minimizes testing at
the shipyard and ensures the best possible
measurement conditions.
We deliver the still pipe in typically six-
meter-long, numbered sections, ready to
be installed into the tanks pipe tower or
tripod.
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The temperature sensors are installed into
a thermowell manufactured by the ship-
yard. After the sensors have been installed
and connected, the thermowell is inerted.
Both the still pipe and the thermowell can
share the same penetration through the
tank dome.
Technical support from design
to commissioning
Saab Marine Electronics supports the
shipyard with documentation and tech-
nical support from the design stages to the
commissioning of the system. Together
with each Saab TankRadar system, we also
provide comprehensive and dedicated
documentation that includes all appli-
cable certificates. One of our certified
service engineers assists during the com-
missioning of the system.
 Electronic box

Protective hose for cables

Antenna cone

Still pipe Tank dome penetration

Thermowell

Temperature sensors

Pipe for inerting the thermowell

Pressure equalization
hole

Verification pin

The Saab TankRadar system can be installed on newbuildings

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or retrofitted on existing LNG carriers.
Both the still pipe and the thermowell can normally share the same tank penetration.
 Technical details

The main parts of the Saab TankRadar The Work Stations that calculate the
system are: cargo volume from tank parameters and
The tank gauges that measure ullage, measured values. They also supervise
vapor pressure as well as liquid and and warn of any alarms that may occur.
vapor temperature. A Work Station consists of a PC that
The Level Unit that contains much of is type approved for operating in
the calculation power for the signal pro- the marine environment. A printer is
cessing and the circuits for ensuring the included for printing custody transfer
intrinsic safety. The tank gauges are reports and various logs.
connected to the Level Unit. The signal The Redundancy Box that automatically
processors and memory circuits are switches master Work Station, if the ac-
doubled for internal redundancy in the tive master fails.
Level Unit.

Saab TankRadar
Overview Setup Group Trend
Wed Aug 24 20:05:30 1994

Alarm
Help Exit all
Work Station Work Station Saab TankRadar
Overview Setup Group Trend
Wed Aug 24 20:05:30 1994

Alarm
Help Exit all
Level Unit
Window Window

Cargo System Fore Cargo System Fore

Back Exit Back Exit

CT3 CT2 CT1 CT3 CT2 CT1

CT4 CT4
Ullage Ullage Ullage Ullage Ullage Ullage
Ullage Ullage
5.630 m 8.502 m 1.559 m 5.630 m 8.502 m 1.559 m
1.956 m 1.956 m
0.00 m/h 0.00 m/h 0.00 m/h 0.00 m/h 0.00 m/h 0.00 m/h
0.00 m/h 0.00 m/h

T=19.1 T=19.1 T=19.1 T=19.1 T=19.1 T=19.1 ALARM SYSTEM

T=19.1 T=19.1 7 8 9 0

T=18.7 T=18.7 T=18.7 T=18.7 T=18.7 T=18.7 MENU SERV

T=18.7 T=18.7 4 5 6

P P P P T=18.6 T=18.6 T=18.6 P P P P T=18.6 T=18.6 T=18.6 3 ENTER CLEAR

T=18.6 T=18.6 1 2
T.avg T.avg T.avg T.avg T.avg T.avg OK i
T.avg 18.8 C T.avg 18.8 C
18.8 C 18.8 C 18.8 C 18.8 C 18.8 C 18.8 C

1 2 3

LC5 LC3 LC1 LC5 LC3 LC1

LC7 LC7

Printer
LC6 LC4 LC2 LC6 LC4 LC2
LC8 LC8

24 bar 20 bar 23 bar 24 bar 20 bar 23 bar

26 bar 26 bar
LCI
LCP LCM LCS LCM LCS
Accept BuzzerStop Accept BuzzerStop
m 2...more m 2...more
1,837 (2,000) 1,837 (2,000)
Alarm Hi.Hi CT 6 Ullage Alarm Hi.Hi CT 6 Ullage

Radar
Tank
Gauge

Redundancy Still pipe

Box I/O Box and
Interface to other thermowell
computers

Technical specifications for Saab TankRadar

Accuracy: 5 mm Number of temperature sensors: Typically 5
Measurement range: 0-45 m active sensors per tank
Gauge operating temperature: -40 to +80 C (in- Pressure measurement range: 0.8 to 1.4 barabs
tank temperatures can be down to -165 C) Pressure measurement accuracy: 1% of full scale
Max. operating pressure: 8 barabs Still pipe (Saab or yard supply): 114.3 x 3.65 mm in
Intrinsic safety of gauge: EEx ia IIC T4 stainless steel or aluminum
Temperature measurement range: -165 to +55 C Thermowell (yard supply): Max. outer 32 mm
Temperature measurement accuracy (including Tank penetration (yard supply): Still pipe only:
sensor): 0.2 C for cargo temperatures -165 to Min. inner 154 mm, recommended 250 mm
-145 C, 1.5 C for cargo temperatures -145 to Pipe and thermowell: Min. inner 300 mm
+50 C

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 Saab Marine Electronics
Pioneers in radar tank gauging
Tank gauging with radar is not a new onshore tanks are equipped with Saab
technology for Saab Marine Electronics. TankRadar and it has been successfully
We have developed, produced and mar- installed on LNG storage tanks in Japan.
keted radar tank gauging systems for
More than 35 000 Saab TankRadar gauges
tankers since 1975. We have released three
have been installed on both tankers and
generations of Saab TankRadar systems
onshore tanks.
for tankers each new generation bring-
ing new customer benefits. Today, more
Certified quality and
than 1 100 tankers are sailing with Saab
environmental systems
TankRadar systems.

In the early 1980s Saab Marine Electron- In 1992, Saab Marine Electronics was the

ics released Saab TankRadar for onshore first supplier of tank gauging equipment

tanks. Many of the same features that to be certified according to ISO 9001. In

brought success on the tanker market, 1997 we were again first to be certified

appealed to the instrument engineers at according to ISO 14001 for our environ-

refineries, tank terminals, chemical plants mental management system.

Copyright Saab Marine Electronics AB, May 1998. Contents subject to change without prior notice. Saab TankRadar is a registered trademark.

and other industries. More than 500 LPG

LNG/C Khannur with Saab TankRadar onboard.

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 .
Produced by Skapa Digital Design i Gteborg AB. Printed on totally-chlorine-free paper.