7 Tips To Prevent Electric Motor Damage On Ships

This article highlights the seven strategic steps or actions that must be consistently taken in order to prevent electric motors onboard vessels from being irreparably damaged.

Summary

Conducting Routine Maintenance and Inspection: For overheating, loose connections, and abnormal sounds. It is likewise helpful to make sure that all the wiring is properly done and securely enclosed in panel boxes to prevent dangerous accidental contact.
Ensuring Proper Ventilation and Cooling: The TEFC motors used in vessels should be those that are strictly compliant with guidelines and be fitted with useful cooling devices.
Installing Electrical Protection Systems: Some of the required electrical protection approaches to safeguard electric motors include using thermal, electronic, magnetic, or phase-failure relays to prevent damage from overload or unbalanced loads.
Undertaking Safe Operating Procedures: To prolong the longevity of the electric motors onboard, they should avoid frequent starts/stops that can eventually stress motor windings. They should also prevent mechanical overload by not letting the motors exceed their rated load, which can result in overheating and insulation failure.
Safeguarding the Electric Motors from Environmental Impact: It is advised to keep motors in enclosures designed for marine conditions. Moreover, proper ventilation can prevent them from corrosion and overheating.
Proper Cable Management: Route cables far from hot surfaces, vibration zones, and exhaust lines. It is essential to utilize cable supports and trays to prevent sharp bends that can cause mechanical stress on the cables. Electromagnetic Interference can be prevented by separating power cables from signal cables.
Utilizing Emergency Power and Isolation Protocols: For emergency power systems, shippers can utilize an emergency generator that is solely dedicated to the electric motors, loading shedding protocols, and automatic transfer switches (ATS). For isolation protocols, faults in a motor can be discovered quickly by using motor circuit breakers.

There are two intrinsic reasons why it is of paramount importance to protect the electric motors onboard ships: for safety and operational efficiency. When vessels and the crews operating them are safe, they will be able to sustain their shipping performance efficiently.

Outlined below are some practical steps that can be taken to ensure that onboard electric motors are kept in good condition while at ports or at sea:

1. Conducting Routine Maintenance & Inspection

It is imperative to carry out routine daily checks for overheating, loose connections, and abnormal sounds. It is likewise helpful to make sure that all the wiring is properly done and securely enclosed in panel boxes to prevent dangerous accidental contact. Efforts should be made to replace corroded connectors and worn-out insulation, particularly in saltwater environments.

2. Ensuring Proper Ventilation & Cooling

The Totally Enclosed Fan-Closed (TEFC) motors used in vessels should be those that are strictly compliant with SOLAS Chapter II-1, Part D and IEC 60092 guidelines. In addition to its external fan for blowing air over the motor’s frame, they should also be fitted with useful cooling devices such as cool air filters, temperature sensors, humidifiers, and water-cooled apparatus. In principle, electric motors that possess dedicated airflow paths, mechanical ventilation, and proper ducting layout are good for managing ventilation and cooling onboard.

3. Installing Electrical Protection Systems

Some of the required electrical protection approaches needed to safeguard electric motors include using thermal, electronic, magnetic, or phase-failure relays to prevent damage from overload or unbalanced loads. It is also necessary to install short-circuit protection by utilising circuit breakers or fast-acting fuses that will immediately isolate faults.

4. Undertaking Safe Operating Procedures

It is imperative that ship crews undertake safe operations that would prolong the longevity of the electric motors onboard their vessels. They should avoid frequent starts/stops that can eventually stress motor windings. They should also prevent mechanical overload by not letting the motors exceed their rated load, which can result in overheating and insulation failure. When ship crews are properly trained on how to quickly identify signs of motor distress, they will be able to resolve any mechanical issues early that can damage the motors. It is equally advisable for them to utilise insulated tools and put on protective gear when working on electrical systems.

5. Safeguarding the Electric Motors from Environmental Impact

When electric motors are not protected from certain environmental impacts like moisture, dust, and vibration, they can be damaged in no time. It is advisable to keep motors in enclosures designed for marine conditions. Moreover, proper ventilation can prevent them from corrosion and overheating. Over-exposure to salt-heavy air should, as a caution, be avoided, because this may lead to rusting and degradation of insulation that can result in motor and short-circuit failures. When exposed to chemicals from fuel vapours, hydraulic fuels, or cleaning agents, some protective materials on ships’ electric motors can be degraded or weakened.

6. Proper Cable Management

Shippers should undertake excellent cable management: they should always understand that it is important to route cables far from hot surfaces, vibration zones, and exhaust lines. It is essential to utilise cable supports and trays to prevent sharp bends that can cause mechanical stress. Electromagnetic Interference can be prevented by separating power cables from signal cables. It is also helpful to correctly fasten cables using marine-grade ties and clamps. Cables should be clearly labelled using current schematics, and they should be kept away from moisture and corrosion. By periodically testing cables, it would be possible to detect any signs of tears and wear.

7. Utilizing Emergency Power & Isolation Protocols

To protect electric motors from being damaged, it is sensible to use emergency power and isolation protocols. For emergency power systems, shippers can utilize an emergency generator that is solely dedicated to the electrical motor, loading shedding protocols, and automatic transfer switches (ATS). For isolation protocols, faults in a motor can be discovered quickly by using motor circuit breakers. While conducting maintenance of the motor, it is imperative to adopt Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) to isolate motors so as to avoid unexpected and dangerous energization. Remote isolation panels make it easy for the crew to safely disconnect motors from a central control room when there are an emergency.

Takeaways

Shippers have a lot at stake when the electric motors aboard their vessels are damaged. From downtime losses to high cost of repair (estimated to be anywhere between 50% and 70% of the prices for new motors), logistical nightmare, and customer dissatisfaction. This article has described, in detail, the essential steps shippers should take in order to keep their onboard electric motors functioning optimally.