Cargo Manifold Valve
The cargo manifold valve is the last isolation point between the ship's cargo piping and the shore connection at each manifold branch, and it is the single valve every cargo transfer, from hose connection to disconnection, depends on being leak-tight and quick to operate under pressure.
What to check on a Cargo Manifold Valve.
24 models from Wärtsilä in Cargo Manifold Valve. Below: the full model list.
What makes the manifold valve different from other cargo valves
Every valve inside the cargo system segregates tanks or grades from each other; the manifold valve is the one that segregates the ship from the shore. It sits at the end of the manifold branch piping, immediately before the reducer and the hose or loading arm connection, and it is the valve the ship's crew and the terminal both rely on as the definitive shutoff if anything goes wrong during transfer, so its condition gets more attention at survey and by terminal inspectors than almost any other valve aboard.
Legend
- handwheel
- ship's cargo main
- reducer
- hose connection flange
- to shore hose
- manifold valve
- drip tray
Main components
Valve body and disc/ball/gate element
Ball and gate types are both common on manifolds; ball valves give quicker quarter-turn operation and a straight bore, while gate valves are still specified on many tankers for their tight shutoff and resistance to solids in the cargo. Body material is steel or, on chemical carriers, often stainless or a lined design matched to the cargoes carried.
Actuator or handwheel
Manual handwheel operation remains common, but many manifolds now use hydraulic or pneumatic actuation for faster, less fatiguing closure during emergency shutdown sequences, tied into the ship's emergency shutdown (ESD) system.
Read the full guide
Position indicator
A visible open/closed indicator, and on actuated valves a remote position feedback signal to the cargo control room, lets the officer of the watch confirm the manifold state without walking to the deck in poor weather.
Blank flange and spectacle blind
Fitted on the unused side of a manifold during single-hose operation or lay-up, to guarantee positive isolation beyond what a closed valve alone provides.
Selection and sizing
Manifold valve size and pressure rating must match the vessel's manifold dimensions as specified by the applicable OCIMF manifold recommendations for the vessel's deadweight range, since terminal loading arms and hoses are built to those standard spacings and sizes. Pressure/temperature rating is set by the highest-pressure, highest-temperature cargo the vessel is certified to carry, not by the average cargo. Fire safety of seals and packing (fire-safe design per API 607 or equivalent) is standard practice on crude and product carriers.
Regulations and class
- OCIMF's manifold recommendations set the standard spacing, size and flange rating so ships can connect at common terminals without special adaptors.
- SOLAS Ch. II-2 and the applicable IBC/IGC codes for chemical and gas carriers set remote shutdown and segregation requirements that the manifold valve's actuation and ESD tie-in must satisfy.
- Class surveys check valve tightness, actuator function, and ESD response time at renewal survey, and terminal vetting inspections (e.g. SIRE) check the same points independently before many port calls.
Typical faults
| Fault | Consequence |
|---|---|
| Seat or seal worn from repeated cycling and cargo abrasion | Valve fails to hold tight shutoff, leading to a weeping manifold flagged at the next terminal inspection |
| Actuator hydraulic or pneumatic supply leaking | ESD closure time lengthens beyond the certified figure, a finding that can stop cargo operations until repaired |
| Position indicator disconnected or drifted out of calibration | Cargo control room shows a valve as closed when it is actually open, a serious operational hazard during a transfer |
| Blank flange gasket reused past its service life | Weeping at the blank during lay-up, sometimes not discovered until a deck inspection |
What to look for in a supplier
- Manifold dimensions and flange rating built to the current OCIMF recommendation matching the vessel's size category.
- Fire-safe design certification where the cargoes carried require it.
- Actuator response time documented and tested against the ship's ESD closure time requirement, not just the valve's standalone cycle time.
- Spares and seat kits available in a form the crew can fit without a full valve overhaul at the next drydock.
Test the manifold valve's ESD closure time as its own item, separate from a general valve function test; a valve that closes fine on a slow manual turn can still fail an ESD timing check if the actuator supply pressure has dropped.
Models in this type.
The best-documented model of each manufacturer first, then the next — 24 of 24 models in Cargo Manifold Valve. Every row links to full specifications, documents and service notes.
Manufacturers.
All 8 manufacturers with models of Cargo Manifold Valve. Names with a manufacturer page open it; the others open a search across the full library.
All manufacturersAlso in Tanker Cargo Systems.
The other equipment types in this category.
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