Wireless Shore Power

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Big Pete
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Wireless Shore Power

Post by Big Pete »

An interesting article here about "wireless" shore power connections for Electric ferries.


https://www.imarest.org/themarineprofes ... r-wartsila
Last edited by Big Pete on Fri Oct 06, 2017 6:30 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Merlyn
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Re: Wireless Shore Power

Post by Merlyn »

Can't see the article Pete, inductive jobby?
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Re: Wireless Shore Power

Post by Big Pete »

First you see it, then you don't and then you do!
The Magic of computers.
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Merlyn
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Re: Wireless Shore Power

Post by Merlyn »

I see the inductive invention also lends itself to non mooring gang docking.
No monkeys fist to clobber you around the ear hole here.
Parallel to the docking station, touch of Anzipods and/ or thrusters and the inductive magnets take over.
No shorelines, no mooring gangs, no backsprings / fore springs / head or sternropes here.
Another move toward automation and further redundancies, in this case on the quay.
And no rat catchers either.
Perhaps reverse polarity is applied here to push her off the quay?
Unlike poles attract, like poles repel theory?
Wonder if you know down below when alongside when you hear the clang of the magnets?
What's the score when the power trips out?
Sheer magnetism.
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Big Pete
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Re: Wireless Shore Power

Post by Big Pete »

It sounds just like charging an Electric Tooth brush,Primary winding of the Transformer ashore and the Secondary on the ship. I assume that if the shore power failed the Emergency Generator would kick in within 40 seconds as required by SOLAS, and if one the main generators was left in Auto on the PMS system, that would start and go on the main board as well, otherwise the Engineers would have to get booted and suited and fire up the main Generators manually, while the Deck Officers chased up the Port Authorities to restore the shore power.
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Merlyn
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Re: Wireless Shore Power

Post by Merlyn »

Six or seven knot tide running pushing her off the Quay, power interruption, how far off the Quay in 40 seconds?
Would the distance achieved by the power failure be comparable to the induction forces to pull her back onto the Quay?
What's the distance of the commencement of the " pull factor? " from the Quay?
Laden ships offering more underwater surface areas would go how much further than an unloaded one in a given time?
What's the equation expressed as a percentage?
Let go sensors built in, but to do what and to inform who?
Single or three phase and at what voltage?
A/C or DC?
Sine wave or not?
This could be JJ's excuse to keep pedalling and stay on for another twelve months to devise new questions for Chiefs Tickets over there concerning Ally ships and induction mooring?
Better class of golf clubs or de luxe hydrometer at the end of it all.
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Re: Wireless Shore Power

Post by Big Pete »

The article is only talking about wireless charging, not magnetic mooring and does specifically mention that the system will work "Efficiently" with up to 50 cm air gap between the ships coil and the shore side one, so in this case I think conventional mooring lines will be used to secure the ship to the quay. To me a 50 cm air gap would appear to be very inefficient when you think about the lengths that Motor and Alternator makers go to to minimise air gaps and all that stuff in magnetism about the inverse square law. However, they don't put any figures to it, and I have heard some people are trying to put electro magnets in the roads to charge electric vehicles as they drive over them, the cost of that would be horrendous and the efficiency minimal, I would suspect.
BP
Last edited by Big Pete on Sun Oct 08, 2017 7:32 am, edited 1 time in total.
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D Winsor
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Re: Wireless Shore Power

Post by D Winsor »

When it comes to mooring the ship and keeping it in position with the connection. The dock could be fitted with a system that uses vacuum chambers to hold the ship in position similar to what is currently being used in the St. Lawerence Seaway as part of the their Hands & Mooring line Free system

Here is a video of the system in operation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHpJGZCY40I
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Re: Wireless Shore Power

Post by Big Pete »

I should imagine that something similar to the chickasan oil loading connection could be used for the electric power connection and give Metal to metal contact of the Primary and Secondaries, with electro magnets locating the windings together.
I have long thought that winches mounted on the key with cherry picker cranes to drop the eyes of the mooring ropes over fixed bollards on the decks of the ship would be a much safer arrangement and reduce on board manning and maintenance requirements.
I haven't seen ships manoeuvring about a Harbour with Springs going in all directions for 40 years, they all use Tugs and or thrusters to push themselves alongside, in the right place, before making fast nowadays.
The vacuum idea appears good, probably takes less power to maintain than an electromagnetic force field.
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Merlyn
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Re: Wireless Shore Power

Post by Merlyn »

Interesting video of " being suckered alongside " .
Wonder how long the pads last for, ship with a scraped hull ripping the suckers to pieces.
Vacuum pump used?
Vane pump? Diaphragm pump?
Wonder how many inches of mercury being drawn.
Just a thought.
Never met one yet.
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Re: Wireless Shore Power

Post by Libramar »

an interesting one but will hardly be widely implemented in the nearest future
http://www.libramar.net
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