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Jan Jaap van Tuijl

Revision: A
Date
04 March 2016
Page

CALCULATION NOTE

GUIDELINES FOR THE SIZING OF CHAIN LOCKERS

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INTRODUCTION
This calculation note described the sizing of chain lockers. In this note the
chain locker guidelines which were received from IHC, COSCO and taken
from the Anchor Handling book are summarized.

GUIDELINES OF IHC
The following table about sizing of chain lockers was found in the IHC yard
standard.
Table 1: Necessary volume [m3] for 100 [m] anchor chain

Chain
diameter
D [mm]
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38

Chain locker
volume
3
V [m ]
0.216
0.247
0.279
0.315
0.351
0.387
0.427
0.468
0.513
0.558
0.607
0.657
0.706
0.760
0.814
0.873
0.931
0.994
1.057
1.120
1.188
1.255
1.327
1.399

Chain
diameter
D [mm]
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62

Chain locker
volume
3
V [m ]
1.476
1.552
1.629
1.710
1.746
1.876
1.962
2.052
2.142
2.232
2.326
2.425
2.524
2.623
2.722
2.826
2.998
3.042
3.150
3.262
3.375
3.492
3.609
3.726

CALCULATION NOTE
GUIDELINES FOR THE SIZING OF CHAIN LOCKERS

(Continued)

Chain
diameter
D [mm]
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78

Chain locker
volume
3
V [m ]
3.847
3.973
4.099
4.225
4.351
4.482
4.617
4.842
4.887
5.026
5.166
5.310
5.454
5.602
5.751
5.899

Chain
diameter
D [mm]
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95

Chain locker
volume
3
V [m ]
6.052
6.205
6.363
6.520
6.678
6.840
7.006
7.173
7.339
7.510
7.681
7.852
8.028
8.208
8.388
8.568
8.752

th

In Excel a power function as well as a 4 order polynomial function was determined in order to calculate
the chain locker volumes for larger chain diameters than shown in the table above.
Chain locker volume function
1 =
Or

1 = 4 4 + 3 3 + 2 2 + 1 1 +

Whereby:
V1
Effective chain locker volume
dc
Chain diameter

[m ]
[mm]

Table 2: Power function coefficients

Power
function

c
0.000962962

b
2.001744014

Table 3: Polynomial function coefficients

Polynomial
function

Date
04 March 2016

c4
2.55346E-09

c3
-7.38665E-07

c2
0.001039204

c1
-0.002422335

b
0.025432392

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CALCULATION NOTE
GUIDELINES FOR THE SIZING OF CHAIN LOCKERS

Other guidelines mentioned in the IHC standard are;

Between the ancherchain and the end of the spurling pipe 1.2 1.8 [m] needs to be available.
Self stowing properties of the chainlocker are reached when, if possible, a relatively small base
is used compared to the height of the locker. The width in case of a square shaped chainlocker
must fullfill the requirement <0.8 x H.

Diameter of the hawse pipe should be 10 times the anchor chain diameter.

Diameter of the spurling pipe should be 8 times the anchor chain diameter.

Figure 1: Chain locker cross section

Date
04 March 2016

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CALCULATION NOTE
GUIDELINES FOR THE SIZING OF CHAIN LOCKERS

To guarante proper hauling up of the anchor chain it is important that the sprocket wrap angle must be at
least 115 degrees. If the departure angle of the chain is 25 degrees or more the chain can be placed as
indicated in firgure 2a. The departure angle should be minimal 15 degrees and the chain should be
pushed slightly inwards in order to keep the sprocket wrap angle at least 115 degrees, see figure 2b.
The spurling pipe should be extended as close as possible to the chain wheel.

Figure 2a and 2b: sprocket wrap angle and chain departure angle guidelines

Note:
D is the diameter in [mm] of the anchor chain link. Preferbaly keep the arrangement as shown in
figure 2a. For outside diameters and pipe thicknesses of the spurling pipe see table 4.

Date
04 March 2016

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CALCULATION NOTE
GUIDELINES FOR THE SIZING OF CHAIN LOCKERS

Table 4: Spurling pipe dimensions

Dimensions of (steel) spurling pioe
Chian diameter
Outside diameter
Wall thickness
D [mm]
[mm]
[mm]
28
244.6
12.6
30
32
273
14.2
34
36
38
323.9
16
40
42
355.6
17.5
44
46
48
406.4
20
50
52
54
457
20
56
58
60
62
508
20
64

Mass in [kg] per meter

[kg/m]
71.5
90.6
121
146
191

216

241

(continued)
Chian Daimeter
D [mm]
28
30
32
34
36
38
40
42
44
46
48
50
52
54
56
58
60
62
64

Dimensions of (steel) spurling pioe

Mass in [kg] per meter

Outside diameter
[mm]

Wall thickness
[mm]

323.9

17.5

132

406.4

17.5

168

457

17.5

190

508

20

241

559

22.2

294

610

26

361

660

26

392

[kg/m]

Note:
The steel spurling pipe should be deliverd with a certificate of the concerned classifcation society.

Date
04 March 2016

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CALCULATION NOTE
GUIDELINES FOR THE SIZING OF CHAIN LOCKERS

COSCO CHAIN LOCKER GUIDELINES

The following guidelines where received from the Cosco shipyard.

Hc

h1

h2

Round shaped chain locker

For round shaped chain lockers the following formulas can be used in order to estimate the chain locker
volume.

Dc
Figure 3: Chain locker dimensions
= 1.27
Whereby:
Hc
=
Dc
=
V1
=
h1
=
h2
=

1
2

+ 1 + 2

Height of the chain locker

Chain locker internal diameter
Effective required volume of the chain locker
When the anchor chain is piled up, a portion of the tapered height
The reserved height of the chain locker

[m]
[m]
3
[m ]
[m]
[m]

1 = 0.0009 2 (
)
100
Whereby:
dc
=
ln
=
lk
=

Date
04 March 2016

Anchor chain diameter

[mm]
The length of the anchor chain stored in the chain locker
The length of the anchor chain which results in the tapered section

[m]
[m]

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CALCULATION NOTE
GUIDELINES FOR THE SIZING OF CHAIN LOCKERS

For round-shaped chain lockers, it is recommended to have the chain locker internal diameter (Dc) set
as 30dc ~ 35dc (where dc is the anchor chain diameter). For vessels with less depth, the diameter of the
chain locker can be increased appropriately, but should not exceed 40d c.
= 30 ~35
1 = (0.5~0.6)
2 2.5
Whereby
Dc
=
dc
=
h1
=
h2
=
L
=

Chain locker internal diameter

Anchor chain diameter
When the anchor chains are piled up, a portion of the tapered height
The reserved height for the chain locker
The common chain link length

[m]
[mm]
[m]
[m]
[m]

= 6
=

1.6 104 3
2

= (

2
)
2

Whereby
L
Dc
dc
Hc
V

=
=
=
=
=

The common chain link length

Chain locker internal diameter
Anchor chain diameter
Height of the chain locker
Total volume of the chain locker

[m]
[m]
[mm]
[m]
[m3]

Rectangular shaped chain locker

For rectangular/square shaped chain lockers the following formulas can be used in order to estimate the
chain locker volume.
1 = 1
V1
ln
dc
k1

=
=
=
=

2
100

Effective volume
[m3]
The length of the anchor chain stored within the chain locker
[m]
Anchor chain diameter
[mm]
Coefficient, taken as any value between 0.00085~0.001
[-]
(the lower limit is used for cases whereby the chain locker volume is relatively small)

< 0.8 ( )
Whereby
B
=
H
=

Date
04 March 2016

Width of the chain locker

Nominal height chain storage

[m]
[m]

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CALCULATION NOTE
GUIDELINES FOR THE SIZING OF CHAIN LOCKERS

= + (1.2~1.8)
Whereby:
Hc
=

Height of the chain locker

[m]

=
Whereby
V
=
B
=

Total volume chain locker

Width of the chain locker

[m3]
[m]

ANCHOR HANDLING BOOK

The following guidelines are taken from the Anchor Handling Book (Oilfield Seamanship, volume 3
Anchor Handling by Michael Hancox, page 193).

Check that the windlass gypsy(s) are of the correct size for the chain to be handled. It is both
dangerous and foolish to attempt to haul chain using either an undersized or oversized gypsy
and severe damage to chains, gypsies and sometimes men can result.

Check that the chain lockers of the boat are in a fit state to be loaded with chain and how much
can be handled of the size under consideration. The space requirements (locker space) for the
five most common chain sizes are:

Table 5: Locker volume as function of chain diameter

Chain diameter
Weight per 100 meters
[mm]
[kg]
64
919
76
12837
92
19040
102
23260
111
27420

Locker volume per 100 meters

3
[m ]
4.5
7.0
9.5
11.8
14.0

Note: Locker space requirement is considerabley in excess of actual volume

In practical terms let us say that a boat has two chain lockers each of 100 cubic metres volume and they
are to be filled with 76 mm diameter chain, then each locker could take about:
100 7 = 14 x 100 metres = 1400 metres of chain less 20% broken stow
Practically speaking about 1100 metres.
Another commonly used figure is to allow about 0.5 to 0.7 cubic metres per metric tonne of chain.

Date
04 March 2016

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CALCULATION NOTE
GUIDELINES FOR THE SIZING OF CHAIN LOCKERS

GUIDELINE FROM EXPERIENCE

In order to approve the self-stowing properties of a chain locker it is advisable to have a tapered side
section at the bottom of 30 degrees.

30

Figure 4: Chain locker bottom tapered side section

Date
04 March 2016

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