Inert gas generator (IGG) refers to
machinery on board marine product
tankers. Inert gas generators consist distinctively of a gas producer and a scrubbing system.
Process
Diesel is burned using atmospheric air in a combustion chamber and the
exhaust gas
Exhaust gas or flue gas is emitted as a result of the combustion of fuels such as natural gas, gasoline (petrol), diesel fuel, fuel oil, biodiesel blends, or coal. According to the type of engine, it is discharged into the atmosphere through an ...
collected, the resulting exhaust gas contains less than 5%
oxygen
Oxygen is the chemical element with the symbol O and atomic number 8. It is a member of the chalcogen group in the periodic table, a highly reactive nonmetal, and an oxidizing agent that readily forms oxides with most elements as ...
, thereby creating "
inert gas
An inert gas is a gas that does not readily undergo chemical reactions with other chemical substances and therefore does not readily form chemical compounds. The noble gases often do not react with many substances and were historically referred to ...
", which mainly consist of Nitrogen and partly Carbon Dioxide. The hot, dirty gas is then passed through a
scrubbing tower which cleans and cools it using seawater. This gas is then delivered to cargo tanks to prevent explosion of
flammable cargo.
This generator is sometimes confused with ''flue gas systems'', which draw inert gas from the
boiler systems of the ship. Flue gas systems do not have a burner but only "clean" and measure the air before delivering it to the cargo hold.
See also
References
{{reflist
Tankers
Industrial gases