Marine Electrical Engineering

( A CONDENSED VERSION FOR EMTI STUDENTS)

BATTERY & BATTERY CHARGERS

EDITED: D E DHANSINGH
 EDITED: D E DHANSINGH
Few Important 24V loads on
board ships
 Engine Control Systems
 Chart console
 Cargo control console
 Emergency lighting
 Automatic Telephone exchange
 PA system
 Elevator control
 Navigational Lighting
 EDITED: D E DHANSINGH

A typical Emergency Power

System

EMERGENCY GENERATOR
440V 440V

STEP DOWN TRANSFORMER

BREAKERS
INTERLOCKED 440V/220 V

440V EMERG.SWITCH BOARD EMERG.SWITCH BOARD EMERG.SWITCH BOARD

440V 220V 24V

EM.FIRE PP
SPRINKLER EMERGENCY LTG
EM.BILGE PP.

EM.AIR COMP. TRANS-RECT TRANS-RECT EMERG.LTG./POWER

440V STRG.GEAR-2 220V/24 V 220V/24 V

MSB STRG.GEAR-1

RADIO
ALARMS&CONTROLS
SETS
BATTERY BATTERY

24 V 24 V

MAIN GENERATORS 440V

 EDITED: D E DHANSINGH
Batteries –
Application in a ship
 A Battery Power Pack is used as a
TRANSITIONAL SOURCE OF POWER
to supply the Emergency loads during
the
1. Change-over from Normal to
Emergency source of power and
2. When both the emergency and
main power are lost.
 EDITED: D E DHANSINGH

Battery
 A cell is a device for converting chemical energy and
storing it in the form of electrical energy by a process
called “electrolysis”. Consists of an anode, a cathode and
an electrolyte.
 A cell may be a Primary cell or a Secondary cell.
 A primary cell has an irreversible chemical action and
cannot be “recharged” once fully “discharged.”
 A secondary cell can be recharged for several cycles of
charge and discharge.
 Battery is a collection of secondary cells which store
electrical energy by means of an electrolysis taking place
in the medium of an electrolyte.
 EDITED: D E DHANSINGH

Electrolysis
 Electrolysis is a method of using an electric current to
drive a chemical reaction resulting in separation of
materials.
 For an electrolysis to take place, the main requirements
are
a. An electrolyte
b. An external source of electricity
c. Two solid rods or plates – electrodes.
 The process of electrolysis involves the interchange of
atoms and ions by the removal or additions of electrons
from the external circuit. Each electrode attracts ions that
are of opposite charge. +ve charged ions move towards
cathode and –ve charged ions move towards anode.
 EDITED: D E DHANSINGH

Electrolyte
 An electrolyte is any substance containing
free ions that behave as an electrically
conductive medium
 An ion is an atom or molecule where the total
number of electrons is not equal to the number
of protons
 Electrolytes may be liquid or solid
 Electrolyte is said to be concentrated if it has
a high concentration of ions and diluted if it
has less concentration of ions.
 EDITED: D E DHANSINGH

EMF, PD and Internal Resistance

of a cell.
 EMF of a cell is the potential diference between the +ve
and –ve plates of a cell on open circuit and is represented
by “E”
 PD or Terminal voltage of the cell is the potential
difference between the plates of a cell when delivering
current to the external circuit and is represented by “V”
 The opposition offered to the flow of current in a cell is
called the Internal Resistance of the cell and is
represented by “r”. The internal resistance of the cell is
due to Electrodes, electrolyte and the terminals of the
cell,
 EDITED: D E DHANSINGH

Lead Acid Cells & Alkaline cells

A comparison
 EDITED: D E DHANSINGH
Construction of a
Lead Acid Battery
 EDITED: D E DHANSINGH

Capacity of a Battery
 Measured in ampere-hours (Ah) and depends
on the discharge rate
 If a battery is said to have a capacity of 100
Ah, it means that it can discharge at 10A for
10hrs continuously without the terminal voltage
falling below 85% of its fully charged value.
 Rapid rate of discharge means greater fall in
PD of the cell due to its internal resistance
 With rapid discharge, weakening of the acid is
also greater.
 EDITED: D E DHANSINGH

Electro-chemical action in
A lead Acid cell
 EDITED: D E DHANSINGH

Methods of Charging
 “Charging” is the operation carried out to
reverse the “discharged” condition of a battery
 A source of DC supply is required.
 Constant current method – The charging current
is maintained constant by adjusting the external
resistance, the method being adopted only for initial
charging of the battery.
 Constant voltage method – The charging voltage is
kept constant. The charging current is high at start
but slowly tapers down as the battery voltage builds
up – the most common method of charging
 EDITED: D E DHANSINGH

Types of Charges
 Depending on the condition of a battery, the
following types of charges may be given to a
battery
- Initial Charge
- Normal charge
- Floating charge (Trickle Charge)
- Quick charge
- Equalizing charge
 EDITED: D E DHANSINGH

“Initial” & “Normal” Charge

 Initial Charge: A long low-rate initial charge
given to a brand new battery after initial filling
of electrolyte, the rate and time dictated by
the manufacturer.
 Normal charge: A routine charge given as
per nameplate data during the ordinary cycle
of operation
 EDITED: D E DHANSINGH

“Float” or “Trickle” charge

 Floating charge (Trickle Charge): The rate
is determined by the battery voltage .A trickle
charge is used to keep a battery at “full
charge” while the battery is “idle” or on “light
load” and is done on low current. The voltage
of the charging source is kept slightly higher
than the battery voltage to get the desired
current
 EDITED: D E DHANSINGH

“Quick” Charge
 Quick charge: This is given when a battery
must be recharged in the shortest possible
time, The charge starts at a much higher rate
than the normal rate; This type of charge is to
be used only in an emergency as this type of
charge can harm the battery.
 EDITED: D E DHANSINGH

“Equalizing” or “Special” charge

 Equalizing charge: Special extended normal
charge that is periodically given as part of
maintenance routine. It ensures that all
sulphate is driven from the plates and that all
the cells are restored to a maximum value of
SG. The charge is continued until the SG of
all the cells show no change for a four-hour
period
Smokers! Be wiser!!

* The cigarette does the smoking.

You are just the sucker *
D.E.Dhansingh
- A Victim -

*Wise people learn from other’s experience and fools from their own*.
 EDITED: D E DHANSINGH

Indications of a
“fully charged” Lead Acid Battery
 Free gassing at the electrodes – A fully charged battery
gives off oxygen and hydrogen freely as gas bubbles as
these gases no longer take part in the chemical reaction.
The battery being charged to capacity, no more electrical
energy can be absorbed in the form of chemical energy
and hence chemical reactions cease.
 Since during charging, water is being consumed, the
specific gravity of the electrolyte rises above 1250
 The voltage/cell reaches its maximum (2.1V) and remains
constant.
 Internally, the positive plates acquire a chocolate brown
colour and the negative plates a slate grey colour
 EDITED: D E DHANSINGH

Battery Tools
 EDITED: D E DHANSINGH
Problems arising in
Lead Acid Batteries
 Sulphation – The effect is usually noticed by a whitish colour
on plates and is caused by over-charging, over-discharging and
leaving the battery in a discharged condition for a long time.
Best way to avoid is by “trickle charging” though adding
carbonate of soda to the electrolyte can prevent sulphation to a
certain extent.
 Buckling of plates – The plates may bend due to over-
charging or over-discharging. Battery having buckled plates
must be replaced.
 Sedimentation – During charge/discharge cycles, parts of
active materials fall off from the plates and deposit at the
bottom of the battery. Over a period, the accumulation of
deposits might short-circuit the plates. Replace electrolyte and
clean bottom surface thoroughly.
Battery Charging
from AC Supply
 EDITED: D E DHANSINGH

Typical arrangement of
Batteries and Battery chargers-1