[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 46, Volume 1]
[Revised as of January 1, 2007]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 46CFR38.15-1]

[Page 504]
 
                           TITLE 46--SHIPPING
 
         CHAPTER I--COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
 
PART 38_LIQUEFIED FLAMMABLE GASES--Table of Contents
 
                   Subpart 38.15_Special Requirements
 
Sec. 38.15-1  Filling of tanks--TB/ALL.


    (a) Refrigerated and semirefrigerated tanks shall be filled so that 
there is an outage of at least 2 percent of the volume of the tank at 
the temperature corresponding to the vapor pressure of the cargo at the 
safety relief valve setting. A reduction in the required outage may be 
permitted by the Commandant when warranted by special design 
considerations. Normally then, the maximum volume to which a tank may be 
loaded is:

VL=0.98dr V/dL

where:

VL=maximum volume to which tank may be loaded.
V=volume of tank.
dr=density of cargo at the temperature required for a cargo 
vapor pressure equal to the relief valve setting.
dL=density of cargo at the loading temperature and pressure.

    (b) Nonrefrigerated tanks shall be filled so that their filling 
densities shall not exceed the ratios indicated in Table 38.15-1(b).
    (c) The ``filling density'' is defined as the percent ratio of the 
weight of the gas in a tank to the weight of water the tank will hold at 
60[deg] F.

    Table 38.15-1(b)--Maximum Permissible Filling Densities for Tanks
                Operating At or Near Ambient Temperature
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                   Maximum permitted filling density
                             -------------------------------------------
  Specific  gravity  at 60    Unlagged tanks--water capacity
           [deg]F.           --------------------------------   Lagged
                              1,200 gal. and    Over 1,200    tanks--all
                                   under           gal.       capacities
------------------------------------------------------------------------
0.473-0.480.................              38              41          42
0.481-0.488.................              39              42          43
0.489-0.495.................              40              43          44
0.496-0.503.................              41              44          45
0.504-0.510.................              42              45          46
0.511-0.519.................              43              46          47
0.520-0.527.................              44              47          48
0.528-0.536.................              45              48          49
0.537-0.544.................              46              49          50
0.545-0.552.................              47              50          51
0.553-0.560.................              48              51          52
0.561-0.568.................              49              52          53
0.569-0.576.................              50              53          54
0.577-0.584.................              51              54          55
0.585-0.592.................              52              55          56
0.593-0.600.................              53              56          57
0.601-0.608.................              54              57          58
0.609-0.617.................              55              58          59
0.618-0.626.................              56              59          60
0.627-0.634.................              57              60         61
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Note: Increase in filling densities to provide for seasonal changes may
  be considered by the Commandant upon presentation of factual evidence
  that safe operation can be effected.