2. Lesson overview
• Shore based connection requirement for
equipment for shipboard equipment
• Electrical system and dynamic marine
environment- vibration and voltage fluctuation
• SOLAS minimum requirements for electrical
machinery installation
• Electrical equipments installation on board
ship - From indicator bulb/lamp up to main
propulsion
3. Objectives
• To know general requirements for electrical
machinery on board ship
• To understand general requirements for
provision of electrical power and lighting for
normal & emergency operation
4. Introduction
• Must meet minimum standards specified by various
national & international organizations
• For British registered vessel, to comply:
– Regulations for the Electrical and Electronic Equipment of
Ships - Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE)
– British Standards Institute (BSI) - combined with
Recommendations for Electrical and Electronic Equipment
of Offshore Installations
• The Merchant Shipping Rules - MCA
• SOLAS – IMO Convention
• British Standards (BS)
• International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC)
5. Introduction
• General requirements - refer to SOLAS requirements
• Chapter II-1 - outlines requirements for Ship
construction sub-division and stability, machinery
and electrical installations
• 5 Parts:
– Part A General
– Part B Sub-division and stability
– Part C Machinery installations
– Part D Electrical installations
– Part E Additional requirements for periodically
unattended machinery spaces
6. • Part D:
– Regulation 40
• General
– Regulation 41
• Main source of electrical power and lighting systems
– Regulation 42
• Emergency source of electrical power in passenger ships
– Regulation 42-1
• Supplementary emergency lighting for Ro-Ro passenger ships
– Regulation 43
• Emergency source of electrical power in cargo ships
– Regulation 44
• Starting arrangements for emergency generator sets
– Regulation 45
• Precautions against shock, fire and other hazards of electrical origin
7. • Standards specified met when ship is designed,
built, approved and classified
• Ship owner & operating staff to maintain
vessel and its electrical installation to Class
requirements throughout ship's lifetime
• Periodical survey - to check installation is
maintained to Class Rules
8. Items subject to survey
• Generators and Governors
• Circuit Breakers
• Switchboards and Fittings
• Cables
• Insulation Resistance
• Motors and Starters
• Emergency Power Equipments
• Parts of Steering Gear
• Navigation Light Indicators
• UMS vessels
• Tankers
9. • For UMS - survey of associated alarms, controls and
fire detection is required
• For tankers/gas carriers & others transporting
flammable cargo - additional survey for electrical
equipment in hazardous areas
• Carried out during each docking survey & annual
survey - Means - electrical equipment in hazardous
area is surveyed every year
11. Generators & Governors
• Clean
• Respond correctly to controls & load changes
• Stable operation when running in parallel
• Windings - free of dust, oil and moisture
• Visual check - deterioration, abrasion or cracking of insulation
around winding end coils on stator
• Insulation test to carry out while machine still hot after
running on load
• Minimum 1.5 MΩ for new equipment
• Surveyor - > 1kΩ/volt min value for 440V genset
• HV equipment – min IR level (kV + 1) MΩ
• e.g. for 6.6 kV motor, the acceptable min IR would be 7.6 MΩ
12. Generators & Governors
• Appropriate action taken before carried out megger test
• Contact surface of commutator or slip-rings
• Contact surfaces – smooth & concentric without signs of
pitting or deep grooves
• Carbon brushes - adequate length, correct spring pressure and
properly contoured onto its commutator or slip-ring
• Important to remove excess carbon dust in brush gear &
around rotor coils
• To run tests, on load, confirm of proper governor & AVR
operation
• Correct indication – V, f, A, kW, power factor
• Governor response to sudden load changes - within declared
specification
• Stability of load sharing during parallel operation - clearly
demonstrated
14. Circuit breaker
• Visual examination - main, arcing and auxiliary contacts for wear, misalignment and
overheating
• Similar inspection - fixed and moving isolator contacts at rear of circuit-breaker
• Arc chutes - clean, free of arc debris and correctly aligned
• Internal wiring - good condition & end connections tight
• Mechanical linkages - checked for wear or stress
• Tests
– close and trip operations while in isolated position
– racking mechanism - free moving & fixed main terminals must shuttered off when breaker is
withdrawn
• Emergency hand charging (if fitted) - correct operation of mechanical indicators (open,
closed or isolated)
• UV release mechanism & OCR settings for level and time delay - clearly set
• Basically, OCR trip generator breaker - set for 130% of FLC with 3s delay
• In addition, to suit generator thermal capacity & coordinated with overall protection scheme
for power system
• Only proper current injection test – prove manufacturer's I/t characteristics & settings
(specialist task)
• CB time delay mechanisms with oil dash pots – to filled to correct level with clean oil of
maker recommended type
17. Switchboard & fittings
• Section / distribution board – clean
• Includes all internal / external panel surfaces, instrument faces and control
switches
• Thorough cleaning inside main swbd carried out only when the board is
completely dead
• Bus-bar & aux connections checked for tightness during major internal clean
up
• Overheating signs at connection - loose joint
• Direct heat testing (IR thermal camera) - useful technique for locating hot-
spots
• Bus-bar supports - examined for surface tracking & damage to insulation
material
• All internal wiring securely fixed
• Cable entries at bottom of switchboard sealed with non-flammable material –
prevent dirt & act as fire stop
• Earth bar securely bonded to both board frame (ship's hull)
18. Switchboard & fittings
• One secondary terminal of each CT) and instruments and relays
metal cases should wired to main earth bar
• Hinged panel doors bonded with earth strap to swbd frame
• Feeder isolator & fuse holder contacts - checked for mechanical
wear / damage due overheating / arcing at contacts
• Lightly smear moving contacts with contact lubricant –
recommended
• Operational tests - synchronising controls & generator protection
relays (reverse power & preferential tripping)
• Typical reverse power trip settings – 5~15% of generator power
rating, with 0.5~2.5 sec for diesel drive
• 2~5% and 5 s - turbo-generator settings
• E.g - cargo winches & cranes may feed power back into supply
network, under light load, such feedback may cause generator to
trip on reverse power if time delay set too short
20. Cable
• Close visual examination beside megger test
• Inspection - external damage of cable's outer sheath and wire or basket weave
armouring (if fitted)
• Adequately supported along horizontal / vertical runs by suitable clips / ties
• If running along open deck with expansion loops - examined for abrasion and
wear
• For cables pass though bulkheads - correctly glanded or through stopper
boxes, prevent fire passage between compartments
• Common insulations onboard - EPR (ethylene propylene rubber) or butyl
rubber, sheathed with PCP (polychloroprene) or CSP (chlorosulphonated
polyethelene)
• EPR/butyl subjected to oil vapour - to tape / sleeve cable ends
• Flexible cables to light fittings, power tools, etc. - inspected for mechanical
damage, repeated dragged and chafed
• Copper strap / flexible earthing braid/wire - bond equipment steel frame to
ship's hull
21. Insulation resistance
• Surveyor - results of recent insulation tests on
all 440V & 220 V
• List indicate test date's, weather conditions
(hot, humid, etc) & comments (e.g. machine
hot or cold)
• For generators & main motors - IR trend,
history of past results
22. Insulation resistance
Required to test on selected motors
• Visual examination - frame & terminal for damaged or missing
parts
• General neglect suspected if motor covered with dirt, oil or
rust
• TEFV induction motors - require less attention as windings
well protected
• Drip proof, weatherproof & deck water tight – thoroughly
inspected
• May need to open - check ingress of oil / water, insulation
damage & internal corrosion
• Commutator / slip-ring - checked for rotary contacts and brush
gear
• Cargo cranes and winches are not strictly part of a survey as
they are not considered essential to the safety of the ship.
23. Insulation resistance
• Running test – vibration, noise, worn out bearings & ampere
compared to rating plate
• Remote stop/start buttons, regulating resistors etc. - check for
burned & misaligned contacts
• General condition of starter equipment - loose connections,
worn pigtails on moving contacts, badly carbonised arc chutes
& overheating on coils, transformers & resistors
• Dust / weather proof features - in place & serviceable
• Functional checks – starts from local, remote and emergency,
signal lamp status
• OCR trip settings compared with motor FLC rating
• Fuse size & type for starter - checked against maker's drawings
& motor rating
24. Electrical power & associated equipment
• Sequence & operation of emergency generator - manually & automatically
• Emergency switchboard - voltage, current and frequency checked when
powered by emergency generator
• Functioning of emergency lighting, fire pump & other emergency
equipment
• Interlocking arrangements between main & emergency switchboard
• Auto-start relays (voltage / frequency operated) examined and tested
• Emergency battery installation & charging rectifier
• Battery – dry, well ventilated, top parts clean, terminal & connections free
from corrosion & greased, proper electrolyte level & correct SG value
• Safety notices & PPE available adjacent to batteries & proper ventilation
• Battery charging equipment - checks for dirt, overheating, loose
connections & correct functioning of indicators, instruments and alarms
26. Steering gear parts
• 3 important parts:
– Power unit
– Steering control
– Indications and alarms
• Power unit - duplicate motors & starters supplied from main swbd
• SOLAS requirements - one motors to be supplied from emergency swbd
• Motors, starters & c/o supply switch units to be inspected
• Rudder control (hydraulic telemotor or electric controller), supplies, changeover
facilities for steering wheel and auto pilot must tested & well functional
• Rudder swung from 32° port to 32° stbd in 28 sec with loaded condition
• SG status indications operate correctly - steering flat, MCR & on bridge
• Bridge indication should compared with direct mechanical indicator on rudder stock in
steering flat
• Motor over current alarms – test by simulating over current relay
• SG motor does not have OCR protection – fuses only
• Hydraulic low level alarms - correct initiation by level sensors
28. Navigation light indicators
• Indicator operates correctly & shall gives
appropriate alarms
• Simulation – by pulling the fuse
• Power supply must duplicated & c/o facilities
checked
• Visual inspection on cable to the lights
• Actual light fittings for navigation - part of
Safety Equipment Survey
29. UMS operation
• Apart from basic survey, additional survey required to include
alarms, fire detection, controls and fail-safe features
• Alarms associated with ME, AE, lubrication & cooling - tested
for correct operation
• Testing of circuits for sensors – manually by switch or simulate
to alarm condition - prove function correctly
• Sensor calibration & alarm annunciators – specialist
• Initiation and action of automatic shut down features to be tested
• Essential drives for lubrication, cooling & fuel are duplicated - on
duty/standby basis, automatically start up standby unit if duty
pump pressure loss
• Automatic start-up (under voltage & under-frequency relay) of
emergency generator demonstrated, run up to speed & supply
voltage to emergency swbd
30. UMS operation
• Stby generator starts automatically if loss of duty generator & supplying voltage within
45 sec
• Followed by automatic restarting of essential auxiliaries - lubrication, cooling, fuel &
steering
• Bilge level alarms with automatic bilge pumping must proven
• Main & stby power supplies to overall alarm monitoring system - inspected & tested
• Stby power arrangement - backup battery & its trickle-charger to inspect
• Tests made on UMS alarm system to verify:
– alarms displayed on main console relayed to group alarm panel on bridge
– duty engr call system - duty engineer cabin, duty mess and lounges
– Allowance of 2-3 minutes to respond to machinery alarm, otherwise dead man alarm sounded
• Complete inspection / test of fire detection system
• All smoke, heat & flame sensors - function correctly, giving audible & visual alarms
• Hand operated fire alarm switches (break glass) - examined & to be tested
• ME controls functional & tested from bridge, local & emergency position
• Operational features of ME control & indication - demonstrated during full engine test
• All equipment & connections associated with engine control - examined for wear & tear,
insulation level, cleanliness, loose connections and overheating
31. Tanker
• Electrical equipment - surveyed every 4 yrs & during docking
• Hazardous area electrical equipment - surveyed every year
• Common hazardous area electrical equipment - flameproof enclosure type
(Exd) - light fittings, motors, starters, push-buttons and alarm bells
• Inspected for surface cleanliness, corrosion & secure mountings
• Light fittings – cement, bonds the lamp glass to its frame - inspected for cracks
or indentations
• All bolts in place, evenly torqued-up and of correct type
• Edges of ‘Exd’ flamepath flanged joints - not painted over / impeded
• Must be adjudged weatherproof with correct (approved) gaskets or O rings in
place
• Fittings may opened up - check condition of flamepath surfaces for corrosion,
pitting or scratches
• Ex Certification & equipment rating label must not painted over
• No alterations allow on Exd equipment without permission from Certification
Authority - lamp size & its rating
33. • Pump rooms - pressurized light fittings (Exp)
• To confirm - fittings are purged & pressurized before light is
switched on
• Lights automatically switched off if air pressure drops
• Instrumentation & communication equipment - must
intrinsically safe (Exi)
• Most Exi - zener barriers connected in line with IS circuits &
fitted in safe area, outside hazardous area
• Test zener barriers – uneasy task, accepted if equipment
function correctly when circuit fault arise
• Visual inspection during installation
• Barriers have secure connections & bolted to earth strap,
bonded to ship's hull
