What are the differences between marine loading arms and land-based loading arms in ports?
land-based loading arm is a specialized equipment dedicated to the loading and unloading of liquid or gaseous media in land-based scenarios. It is mainly used in industries such as petroleum, chemical engineering, and warehousing to connect fixed storage tanks with land transportation vehicles (e.g., tank trucks, railway tank cars) for the safe transfer of media. Characterized by a compact structure and flexible operation, it can adjust its angle and length according to the type of transportation vehicle and its parking position. The common types include top-loading arms and bottom-loading arms (bottom-loading arms are more in line with modern industrial needs due to their higher loading/unloading efficiency and lower leakage risk). In terms of safety design, land-based loading arms are usually equipped with electrostatic grounding devices and basic sealing components, and some are integrated with leakage detection functions. However, they do not need to cope with wave impact and seawater corrosion in the marine environment, so they are not equipped with wave compensation devices or Emergency Release Systems (ERS).
Marine loading arms in ports are designed for the "marine operating environment" and have significant differences from land-based loading arms, as detailed below:
Structural Strength: The pipeline wall of marine loading arms is thicker (e.g., the wall thickness of a DN100 land-based loading arm is 5mm, while that of a marine one can reach 8mm), enabling it to withstand wave impact and ship sway.
Length and Adjustment Range: Marine loading arms have a longer length (usually 10-20 meters, compared to 5-10 meters for most land-based ones). Some are equipped with a "wave compensation device," which can automatically adjust the height according to the ship's heave to avoid pipeline pulling.
Corrosion Resistance: Marine loading arms are exposed to the marine environment for a long time, so their surfaces need anti-corrosion treatment (such as galvanizing, applying marine-grade anti-corrosion paint). Most of their components are made of stainless steel or weathering steel to prevent seawater corrosion.
Safety Devices: Marine loading arms are equipped with an "Emergency Release System (ERS)". In case of sudden ship departure, it can automatically disconnect the loading arm from the ship to avoid pipeline breakage and leakage, while land-based loading arms do not have this device.
