| 摘要 |
An apparatus and method for ballasting and de-ballasting a vessel (100) having a hull (102) with a plurality of waterlight ballast compartments (X1,X2,X3,8) wherein each ballast compartment has an individual pump caisson (10,20,30,80) extending vertically to the top of the hull, but the ballast/deballast system contains no valves within the hull. An external caisson (56) is used to provide a source of seawater. Several submersible pumps (121,123,111) are available for rigging into and out of the internal and external caissons and provide the ballast and de-ballast operations via an installed manifold system at the top of the columns. Venting (59) of the ballast tanks may be accomplished through a connection to atmosphere near the top of the pump caissons.
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