Ship Industry: How does the ship produce electricity? [Part 10]

In the latest episode "Behind the scenes of the ship industry", Marcin Ryngwelski, president of Thesta, discovers the secrets of the power supply of ships, showing how vessels become floating power plants. In an article, Marcin Ryngwelski brings together technological and installation processes that allow continuous supply of electricity on board ships and ships.

In our 10th part, President Thesta answers the question that many passengers ask: where does electricity come from on the ship? How is it that at the same time someone loads the phone, another watches TV, someone else uses the ice rink or relaxes in a heated pool, and a few floors below kitchens and restaurants serve food and cold drinks, while on even lower levels there are opera performances and electricity is not missing? We will look at how ships generate and distribute electricity to ensure comfort and functionality at sea.

How do ships and ships generate electricity?

Ships are equipped with power generators (called generators) which convert mechanical energy to electrical energy. These generators generate electricity, which is sent to the main power rails located in the main switchboard, and then distributed to different receivers on board.

Installation of electrical systems and cable laying

Before the electrical system is activated, a complex installation must be carried out on the ship. Monters and locksmiths install cable tracks that lead the current throughout the ship's length and height. Cable tracks can be made of steel or aluminium, the weight of which is calculated in tonnes and the length in kilometres.

After installing cable tracks, electromonters stack cables on these tracks. The process starts with thick cables such as 3×150 mm2 and ends with thinner ones such as light, signal, computer and fiber optic cables. It is important that power cables are separated from signal cables to avoid interference.

Example of electrical installation on ferries

On car-passenger ferry about 100 metres long, the total length of all cables can be up to 120-150 kilometres. On average, there are about 8-10 km of cables per week, which means that all cables on the ferry take several months of daily work. Cables must be carefully arranged and secured to avoid vibration damage during the operation of the ship.

Interesting thing about cables on cruisers

On big cruisers, the total length of cables can be up to 6000 km. If you combine all these cables, you could create a section of Gdynia – Lisbon – Gdynia. Once the cables are arranged, they are connected by electricians and ship automation. Each connection is carefully checked before starting the devices to ensure that the installation complies with the requirements of the Classification Society.

Conclusions

The work of electric locksmiths, electricians and automatics is essential for the construction of modern vessels. Thanks to their efforts, ships can safely and efficiently produce the electricity they need to operate at sea.

Electric locksmith, electrician or automation is the future?⚓️?

Another episode soon... ⚓️

Source: Marcin Ryngwelski/Linkedln

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