Modular bladder system

In a system using a flexible bladder for confining a liquid in a seagoing cargo transporter vessel having a keel and at least one inboard compartment and at least one outboard compartment bounded in part by an outer hull wall, the improvement wherein:

• the outboard and inboard compartments are defined by a common wall spaced from the outer hull wall;
• and the improvement comprises:
• an outboard modular plurality of elongate bladders in an outboard ballast compartment;
• each bladder in the outboard compartment has a dimension generally equal to the space between the hull wall and the common wall, at least one such bladder being adjacent to the outer hull wall and stacked atop another bladder, such bladders being filled with liquid cargo and being flexible for substantially collapsing when emptied;
• an inboard modular plurality of elongate collapsible bladders in an inboard compartment;
• each bladder has a major axis and a minor axis shorter than the major axis;
• at least one bladder of the inboard plurality of bladders has its major axis generally parallel to the keel;
• the major axes of bladders in the outboard compartment are generally parallel to the outer hull wall and the major axes of bladders in the inboard compartment are generally normal to the outer hull wall,
• whereby the quantity of cargo at risk of spillage is reduced, ballast and cargo are separated and the vessel may be more fully loaded with cargo.

In a system using a flexible bladder for confining a liquid in a seagoing cargo transporter vessel having a keel and at least one inboard compartment and at least one outboard compartment bounded in part by an outer hull wall, the improvement comprising:

• an outboard modular plurality of elongate bladders in an outboard ballast compartment, at least one such bladder being adjacent to the outer hull wall, such bladders being filled with liquid cargo and being flexible for substantially collapsing when emptied;
• and
• an inboard modular plurality of elongate bladders in an inboard compartment;
• each bladder has a major axis and a minor axis which is shorter than the major axis;
• `at least one bladder of the inboard plurality of bladders has its longest axis generally parallel to the keel;
• each of said inboard plural bladders has all bladder surfaces spaced from the outer wall by at least one bladder adjacent to the outer wall;
• at least one bladder has its major axis generally parallel to the outer wall;
• and wherein:
• the vessel includes a hull bottom and the major axis of at least one bladder comprising the inboard plural bladders is generally normal to such bottom,
• whereby the quantity of cargo at risk of spillage is reduced, ballast and cargo are separated and the vessel may be more fully loaded with cargo.

In a system using a flexible bladder for confining a liquid in a seagoing cargo transporter vessel having a keel and at least one inboard compartment and at least one outboard compartment bounded in part by an outer hull wall, the improvement comprising:

• an outboard modular plurality of elongate bladders in an outboard ballast compartment, at least one such bladder being adjacent to the outer hull wall, such bladders being filled with liquid cargo and being flexible for substantially collapsing when emptied;
• and
• an inboard modular plurality of elongate, collapsible bladders in an inboard compartment;
• all bladders have a major axis and a minor axis shorter than the major axis;
• at least one bladder of the inboard plurality of bladders has its longest axis generally parallel to the keel;
• and wherein:
• the major axes of bladders in the outboard compartment are generally normal to the major axis of bladders in the inboard compartment,
• whereby the quantity of cargo at risk of spillage is reduced, ballast and cargo are separated and the vessel may be more fully loaded with cargo.

In a system using flexible bladders for confining liquid cargo in compartments of a seagoing transporter vessel, the improvement wherein:

• the cargo is confined in a modular plurality of bladders with plural bladders in each of plural compartments;
• cargo-filled bladders occupy substantially the entirety of the volume of each compartment;
• each bladder has a major axis;
• and,
• at least one bladder in each compartment is oriented with its major axis generally normal to the major axis of another bladder,
• whereby the quantity of cargo at risk of spillage is reduced and the compartment is substantially fully loaded with cargo.