2.1 General
Clasification Society 2024 - Version 9.40
Statutory Documents - IMO Publications and Documents - Circulars - Maritime Safety Committee - MSC.1/Circular.1370 – Guidelines for the Design, Construction and Testing of Fixed Hydrocarbon Gas Detection Systems – (22 June 2010) - Annex – Guidelines for the Design, Construction and Testing of Fixed Hydrocarbon Gas Detection Systems - 2 Engineering Specifications - 2.1 General

2.1 General

  2.1.1 The system should consist of a control panel housing the gas analysis unit and sample extraction pump(s), connected to gas sampling pipes, and one or more indicating units.

  2.1.2 The system should be capable of continuously measuring hydrocarbon gas concentrations, and may be arranged to operate on a sequential scanning principle, provided that each sampling line of each protected space is analysed at intervals not exceeding 30 min.

  2.1.3 The system should be provided with a means to monitor air flow acceptable to the Administration.

  2.1.4 Means should be provided to prevent ballast water from entering the system.

  2.1.5 The system should have ingress protection suitable for the installed location of each component. In any event, the system should be designed such that dust may not enter in sufficient quantity to interfere with the satisfactory operation of the equipment and water splashing against the enclosure from any direction has no harmful effect.

  2.1.6 Enclosures containing electrical components such as gas analysis units, extraction pumps, and alarm control devices should be of gas-tight construction having doors fitted with gaskets. Electrical components which would reasonably be expected to come into contact with sample gases should be explosion-proof.

  2.1.7 The system should be designed, constructed and installed to prevent the leakage of hydrocarbon gases into any accommodation and service spaces, control stations or machinery spaces.

  2.1.8 The system should be designed to withstand supply voltage variations and transients, ambient temperature changes, vibration, humidity, shock, impact, and corrosion normally encountered on ships, and to avoid the possibility of ignition of a flammable gas mixture.

  2.1.9 The switchover sequence should be designed to keep changing the sampling line of each protected space according to a planned sequence, even if flammable gas above the alarm level is detected at a sampling point.


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