4/20/2015

HowtoDoBusbarInspectionandMaintenanceonShips?

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HowtoDoBusbarInspectionandMaintenanceonShips?
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JUNE26,2013BYR.ANBUSELVAM

Abusbarisacopperplate/barwhichisusedinshipsmainandemergencyswitchboardstoconduct
electricityfromgeneratorsorfromoneelectricalterminaltoanother.Technically,therearenoelectrical
wireconnectionsinsidethemainandemergencyswitchboardsonshipsforconnectingPowersupply
fromgeneratorstotheseswitchboards.Allhighvoltageandhighcurrentsystemsareconnectedbybus
bars.

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Thebusbarscopperplates/barsareconnectedtogetherwiththehelpofnutbolts,whichtransmit
electricityasrequired.Duringnormalshipoperations,thebusbarconnectionsaresubjectedtoships
harshenvironmentalongwiththevibrationsgeneratedbytheshipandshipmachinerysuchasMain
Engine,auxiliaryengines,compressorsetc.Thesevibrationscauselooseningofnutboltsinthebusbar,
whichcanleadtoshortcircuitoranyothertypeofaccident.Looseconnectionsinsidetheswitchboard
canalsoleadtosparksthatcancausefire.
Moreover,thebusbarsaremeanttocarryhighvoltageandcurrentwhichtendtoheatupthelinesdueto
energyflowinthesystem.Forthisreason,inspectionandmaintenanceofbusbaratregularinspection
oftimearerequiredforsmoothoperation.

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HowtoDoBusbarInspectionandMaintenanceonShips?

Busbasinspectionandmaintenance

Safety
Ifanymaintenanceisplannedforbusbars,higheststandardsofsafetyarerequiredaseven
thetiniestmistakecanleadtoelectrocutionandevendeath.Thebusbarmaintenanceistherefore
performedwhenthecompletebusbarpanelorSwitchboardisturnedOFF.Followingarethe
precautionsforsafetytobecarriedoutwhenthebusbarmaintenanceistobecarriedout:
Whenthebusbarmaintenanceshouldbedone?
1. Busbarmaintenancecanbedonewhentheshipisinblackoutcondition,i.e.shipsgenerators
arenotrunningandnopowerissuppliedtomainoremergencyswitchboards
2. Ifthemainswitchboardbusbarsaretobeinspectedortobeworkon,keepemergencygenerator
running.Keepinmindthattherewillbesomeportionofthemainswitchboardwhichwillbefedby
emergencyswitchboard.Henceknowthecompletesystemproperlyandkeepawayfromthose
areas
3. Thebesttimetodobusbarmaintenanceiswhentheshipisinthedrydock
Safetybeforedoingbusbarmaintenance:
1. Putthelockouttaginallgeneratorsandintheemergencygenerator
2. Keepallthegeneratorsystemincludingloaddependentstartstopsysteminmanualmode
3. EnsuretowearrubberglovesevenwhentheboardisnotinLivecondition
4. Wearallrequiredpersonalprotectiveequipment(PPEs)whenworkingonswitchboard
5. Iftheshipisincompleteblackoutsituation,ensurethatbeforecleaningthemainandemergency
switchboard,theareaiswelllitbysufficientlights.Indrydocksamecanbearrangedfromshore
workshop

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HowtoDoBusbarInspectionandMaintenanceonShips?

Busbar

HowBusbarInspectionandmaintenanceiscarriedout?
AnymaintenanceonbusbarsshouldonlybeperformedwhentheshipinDrydockorBlackout
condition:
1. Openthedoorformainandemergencyswitchboardswhereinspectionistobeperformed
2. Carryoutvisualinspectionofcopperplateandnutbolts.Markanymissingorburnoutareas
3. Byhandorusingametalorplasticstick(whereaccessforhandisnotpossible),tapthebusplates
gentlysoastomakeoutforanylooseconnection.Ensuretowearelectricalglovesevenwhenbus
barisnotlive
4. Thebusbarsaremechanicalsupportedinsidetheswitchboardbymeansofinsulators,whichmay
beofrubberorceramicmaterials(badconductors).Checkforanydamagesintheinsulatorpart
5. Byusinganadjustablespannerorparticularsizespanner,tightenthenutsinthebusbar
connectionformainandemergencyswitchboards
6. Checkthetightnessofthewireconnections,whichisconnectedtothecircuitbreakers
7. Cleanthebusbarandswitchboardareawiththehelpofvacuumcleaner
8. Ifufindanylooseconnectionorspark,blackouttheparticularandadjacentbusbarbefore
tighteningthenut
9. Ifufindanymetalpieceornutboltsmissingorinsidethepanel,ensuretoremoveitasthesame
cancauseshortcircuitorfire

Busbarconnections

Theshipselectricalofficerisrequiredtoinspectthebusbarperiodicallyforrecordkeepingandalsoas
statedbythepreventivemaintenancesystem.Thisisdonetoavoidanytypeofaccidentfromelectrical
faultsonships.Whendoingsuchinspectionthefollowinghighestsafetymeasuresaretobetakenwith
allrequiredPPEsastheBusbarisLIVE:

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HowtoDoBusbarInspectionandMaintenanceonShips?

ChecktheloadintherunninggeneratorbymeansofKWmeterprovidedinthemainswitchboard.
OpenthebusbaraccessdoorprovidedatthebacksideofMSBorESB.
Dothevisualinspectionandbythehelpofinfraredtemperaturegun,measurethetemperatureof
copperplatesandbusbarconnection.Itshouldnotbemorethangivenlimitsdependinguponthe
generatorload.Exampleifthegeneratorloadis50%,theroomtemperatureis28degc,thebusbar
temperaturemustbewithin50degc,ifthetemperatureistoohighthensomethingisabnormal.
Oncetheinspectionandmaintenanceiscompleted:
1. Closethebusbaraccessdoors
2. Removethelockouttag
3. Restorethemainpowersupplybythegenerators
4. InformtheChiefEngineerandtheinchargeofthatparticularmachineryregardingthesame
5. Resetthemainpowerandcheckifthereisanyabnormalsoundinmainswitchboardand
emergencyswitchboard
6. Monitorthetemperatureofthebusbarareawithlasertemperaturegun
7. Keeptheemergencyswitchboardintheautomode
Howdoyoucarryoutbusbarmaintenanceonboardships?Letusknowinthecommentsbelow.
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