the magnetic compass 1

magnetism
influences of the ships magnetic field
errors and their cause
compensation of errors
STC version 2 /2021 2
 magnetism

a short simplified rehearsal

 magnet

• (from Greek μαγνήτις λίθος magnḗtis líthos,

"Magnesian stone")
• is a material or object that produces a
magnetic field.
– this magnetic field is invisible but is responsible for
the most notable property of a magnet:
• it produces a force that pulls on other ferromagnetic
materials, such as iron, and attracts or repels other
magnets.

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 magnet

• a bar magnet has a

North pole and a
South pole reduced length
or magnetic
– equal poles repel length
each other l

– unequal poles attract

each other L

• for a bar magnet Pn Ps

the poles are 1/ L 1/ L

supposed to be 12 12

about 1/12L from the

end

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 magnetic field

• area where the

magnetism is
encountered
• the magnetic field is
represented by
magnetic field lines
(lines of force),
• the tangent at
these field lines
representing the
direction of the
resultant magnetic
force
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 magnetic force

• the magnetic force

given in Tesla
m/sec, reduces
with the square of
the distance
between the poles
(Coulombs Law)
• │F│=ke*│q1*q2│/r2
– ke= Coulombs
constant

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 tesla

• The tesla (symbol T, commonly denoted as

B) is a unit of measurement, derived unit of
the International System of Units (SI unit)
• One tesla is equal to one Weber per square
metre.
– The unit was announced during the General
Conference on Weights and Measures in 1960 and
is named in honour of Nicola Tesla
• in general the field strength is given in nano
Tesla(nT)
– 100,000nT=1Gauss

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 tesla

• A particle, carrying a charge of 1 coulomb,

and passing through a magnetic field of 1
tesla, at a speed of 1 metre per second,
perpendicular to said field, experiences a
force with magnitude 1 Newton, according to
the Lorentz force law.
𝑉∗𝑠 𝑘𝑔 𝑘𝑔
𝑇= = =
𝑚2 𝐶∗𝑠 𝐴∗𝑠2
– T=tesla
– V=volt
– s=second
– C= coulomb
– m=metre
– kg=kilogram
– A=ampere

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 force in a magnetic field

• the magnetic moment of a magnet M= q*l

• the force in any point of a magnetic field is

proportional to M
• the force in any point of a magnetic field is
inversely proportional with the third power of
the distance from the centre of a magnet
(M/d3)
• the force depends on the position of the
point in relation to the magnet

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 magnetic force

• in the length of the

magnet axes at a
distance d from the
half length of the
magnet

𝐹 = 𝐹 𝑃𝑆 − 𝐹 𝑃𝑁 =
1 1 =
• 𝑞∗ 1 2
−𝑞∗ 1
𝑑−2𝑙 𝑑+2𝑙 2

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 magnetic force

• 𝐹 = 𝐹 𝑃𝑆 − 𝐹 𝑃𝑁 =
1 1
• 𝑞∗ 1 −𝑞∗ 1 =
𝑑− 𝑙 2 𝑑+ 𝑙 2
2 2
1 1 1 2 2
• {𝑞 ∗ 𝑑 + 𝑙 2 −𝑞∗ 𝑑− 𝑙 2}/ 𝑑2 − 𝑙 =
2 2 4

𝑙2 𝑙2 2𝑀
• 2𝑞𝑑𝑙/𝑑4(1 − 2)= 2𝑞𝑙/𝑑3(1 − 2)= 3 𝑙 2
4𝑑 4𝑑 𝑑 1−4𝑑2

• When d is large compared to l this leads to

2𝑀/𝑑3

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 magnetic force

• perpendicular to the
magnet axes at a
distance d from the
half length of the
magnet
• 𝐹𝑃𝑁 = 𝐹 𝑃S = 𝑞 ∗ 1/𝑟2
• as the triangles are
similar in shape we • when d is large
can state compared to l we
• 𝐹: 𝑙 = 𝐹 𝑃𝑁: 𝑟 or can state that
𝑙 𝑞
𝐹 = 𝑀/𝑑3
• 𝐹= ∗ = 𝑀/𝑟3
𝑟 𝑟2

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 magnetism in steel

• the molecules in ferromagnetic materials are

supposed to be small magnets on their own,
nicely orientated in the same direction under
influence of a magnetic field.
• when this field remains almost permanent
e.g. when the material is hammered at, we
call this hard iron
• when the magnetism disappears as soon as
the field disappears, it as called soft iron
magnetism

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 coercivety

• it is said that
– hard iron has a high coercivety,
– soft iron has a low coercivety.
• this can be expressed in a hysteresis loop

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 hysteresis loop

OD = coercive field
strength necessary to
demagnetize the iron
+ OC= remnant magnetism
fractional magnetization

C
DE small, soft iron
DE large, hard iron
D
0 0
E

- +
applied field 16
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 types of induced magnetism

• hard iron or permanent magnetism:

– remains even if the inducing field strength is 0. On
board it only changes after a collision, when the
vessel is stricken by lightning, or major repairs or
conversion
• sub permanent:
– part of the permanent magnetism that fades away
• transient or soft iron magnetism:
– disappears immediately as soon as the inducing
field strength is 0 (OC=0)
• remnant magnetism:
– remaining but slowly disappearing magnetism after
the inducing field strength became 0

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earth magnetic field

synopsis of terms
 terms

• isodynamic:
– lines connecting places with an earth magnetic field
of the same strength (either horizontal(H),
vertical(V) or total(F))
• variation:
– horizontal angle between magnetic North and
geographic North
• isogonic lines:
– lines connecting places on earth with the same
variation
• agonic line:
– line connecting places with a variation =0

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 terms

• inclination(i):
– vertical angle
between the direction
of the earth magnetic
field and the
horizontal plane
• isoclinal lines:
– lines connecting
places on earth with i
the same inclination
• acline:
– line connecting the
places with
inclination=0 also
called the magnetic
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 sources

• the above mentioned lines can be found in :

• isoclinic chart
• isodynamic chart
• US Pilot charts
• magnetic field Calculator at NOAA
http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/geomag-
web/#igrfwmm

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 isodynamic chart

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 the earth magnetic field

• the earth magnetic field is very weak

• between 0.000025T and 0.000065T

• Compare this with a refrigerator magnet

which can have a strength of 0.01 Tesla

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 inclination chart

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 pilot chart

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 ships magnetic field

soft iron (transient)

hard iron (permanent)
the parameters and coefficients
 ships magnetic field

• the ships transient magnetic field

– is solely induced by the weak earth magnetic field
and the magnetization will be proportional to the
strength of the earth magnetic field
– it can be compared with a long thin soft iron bar
held in a weak homogenous magnetic field

the polarity of a soft iron bar in a

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magnetic field 27
 magnetic field on board

• we are only
interested in the
magnetic
components at the
compass rose,
• being:
– component X
horizontal along ship
– component Y
athwart ship
– component Z
vertical

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 magnetic field on board

• the magnetic forces resolved along these

axes will be:
• Earth magnetic field
• Permanent ships magnetic field
• Transient ships magnetic field

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 Earth magnetic field

earth magnetic field (M)

horizontal component (H=Mcosi)
vertical component (V=Msini)

H
inclination

M
V

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 Horizontal components

H
horizontal component (H=Mcosi)
X+ longitudinal component (Hx=Hcosc)
athwart ship component (Hy-Hsinc)
Y+
Hx

Hy

Y-

X-

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 Vertical and longitudinal
components

vertical component (V=Msini)

longitudinal component (Hx=Hcosc)

Hx

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 earth magnetic field on board

earth magnetic field

horizontal component (H=Mcosi)
vertical component (V=Msini)
longitudinal component (Hx=Hcosc)
athwart ship component (Hy=Hsinc)
X+
Z-

Y- Y+

X- M

Z+

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 earth magnetic field on board

earth magnetic field

horizontal component
vertical component
longitudinal component
athwart ship component X+
Z-
360°-magnetic
course

Y- inclination Y+

X-

Z+ NB.
• X and Y change with
every course
alteration and a
change of position
• Z only changes with
a change of position
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 Permanent ships magnetism

• the vessel can be

seen as a single
magnet, with 1
north pole and one
south pole causing a
magnetic field near
the compass which
can be divided in 3
parameters.
P, Q and R

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 Ships permanent magnetic field

Pn R Ms
Ps

Pn

P Ps
Ms
Q

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 parameter P

• the fore and aft

component
• positive if it is the
equivalent of a
magnetic south pole
forward of the
compass
• negative if it is the
equivalent of a
north pole forward
of the compass

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 parameter Q

• athwart ship
component
• positive if it has the
equivalent of a
south pole to
starboard
• negative if it has the
equivalent of a
south pole to port

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 parameter R

• vertical component
• positive if the
equivalent of the
south pole is below
the compass
• negative if the
equivalent of the
south pole is above
the compass

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 soft iron magnetism

• Soft iron or induced magnetism has nine

parameters , each the equivalent of that
produced by a slender rod of soft iron
• each end of a rod is positive if it is relative to
the compass:
– forward
– to starboard
– below
• each rod is
– positive if both ends are positive or both ends are
negative
– negative if the two ends are of opposite sign

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 soft iron parameters a, b, c

• one end level with

the compass and in
its fore and aft axes
– a extends fore and
aft
– b extends athwart
ships
– c vertical

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 soft iron parameters d, e, f

• one end level with

the compass and in
its athwart ship
axes
– d if it extends fore
and aft
– e if athwart ships
– f if vertical

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 soft iron parameters g, h, k

• one end in the

vertical axes of the
compass
• g if it extends
forward and aft
• h if athwart ships
• k if vertical

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 in schedule

effect

Horizontal Horizontal
position along ships athwart ships vertical
component component

Horizontal along ships a d g

Horizontal athwart ships b e h

vertical c f k

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the parameters caused by the various
parts of the ship

work out yourself the permanent and

transient influence of certain ship
construction parts
 some ship parts

masts deck beams and

girders
funnel

masts masts
steel deck
crane and
derrick in
crane and
the
derrick in
centreline
the ship
bulk head side

containers

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 lay out

make a schedule for

each component
P S
S P

From
frontal astern

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 • In general can be
said that in the
position of the
compass the vessel
as a whole causes:
• aX and eY
– a usual negative
– compass forward of
amidship e positive
– compass aft of
amidship e negative
• usually │eY│>│aX│

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means to eliminate the ships magnetic
field
 the compass binnacle

• the magnetic
compass is housed
in a compass
binnacle

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 compass compensation

• to eliminate compass errors and to make the

compass more stable on each course it is
necessary to eliminate the ships magnetic
field at the position of the compass.
• this is called magnetic compensation of the
compass

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 permanent magnetism

• compensated by 3 R P
bar magnets
– P magnet
horizontally Q
alongships
– Q magnet
horizontally
athwartships
– R magnet, vertically Q
under the compass
P
• P and Q in holes or on an
vertically adjustable tray R
under the compass
• R in a holder hanging on an
adjustable chain

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 induced magnetism

• vertically induced
horizontal
component (c)
– by a flinders bar,
usually forward of
the binnacle
• along ships
component(a) and
athwart ships (e)
components
– by hollow soft iron
spheres either side of
the compass

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 induction of the spheres by X

force caused by the

spheres at the
compass card

H
N
X S

aX
N N
S

spheres act as
negative a bar

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 induction of the spheres by Y

force caused by the

spheres at the
compass card

H
N
Y S
eY

N N
it can be stated that 𝑒 =
S
S 2│𝑎│

spheres act as
positive e bar

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 induction by Z

kV
S S

N N

spheres act as
negative k bar Z=V
P
S

V
N

flinders bar acts as

permanent R bar,
causing a force P

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 soft iron compensators

sphere
flinders bar

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 note

• on board of vessels that usually sail in the

same area and at the same latitude
• e.g. fishing vessels and yachts
• often all magnetic fields are compensated
with permanent magnets P, Q and R

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