Settling tanks. Motorships are fitted with settling tanks.
Fuel oil may be contaminated with water, which settles to the bottom of the tank and can be drained. This process is accelerated by heating the fuel oil by steam heating coils. Two tanks are usually fitted.
The capacity of settling tanks is such that alternately the daily quantity of fuel can be drawn from one of the tanks, so that sufficient time is left for the settling of the fuel oil in the remaining tanks. The capacity of each tank can be about 12 hours supply.
