Automation, Instrumentation & Control on Ships
Why PLC Logic, Network Timing, and Sensor Trust Decide Outcomes Introduction — automation does not replace judgement, it compresses time Modern ships are controlled by layers of automation: PLCs executing logic, SCADA systems presenting data, and field networks carrying signals from thousands of sensors. When these systems behave, ships feel calm and controlled. When they […]
Navigation, Communications & GMDSS Power
When Power Loss Turns a Casualty into Isolation Introduction — power loss is survivable, loss of communication is not Ships can survive without propulsion. They can drift, anchor, or be assisted. What ships cannot survive is loss of communication and navigation awareness during an emergency. Navigation and GMDSS power systems exist to ensure that when […]
Lighting Power Systems on Ships
Why “Just Lights” Decide Evacuation, Firefighting, and Control Introduction — lighting is not comfort, it is control Shipboard lighting is often treated as a low-priority auxiliary system. In reality, lighting determines whether crews can move, fight fires, launch survival craft, and maintain command when everything else has gone wrong. Lighting failures rarely cause casualties on […]
Cabling, Glanding, Earthing & EMC on Ships
Why Good Installations Still Fail — and Fires Start at the Ends of Cables 4 Introduction — cables don’t fail in the middle When electrical fires or faults occur on ships, investigations rarely find failure mid-cable. Damage almost always occurs at: Cabling systems fail where mechanical, thermal, and electrical stresses combine — usually where workmanship […]
Power Quality & Harmonics on Ships
How Clean Power Becomes Dirty — and Why Blackouts Start Long Before Trips Introduction — ships don’t fail from overload, they fail from distortion Modern ships rarely suffer blackouts because generators are undersized. They fail because power quality degrades quietly until protection, control systems, and machines no longer behave predictably. Harmonics, voltage distortion, and frequency […]
Batteries & Energy Storage on Ships
Lead-Acid, Lithium-Ion, and Why Stored Energy Is a Fire Waiting for a Trigger Introduction — batteries don’t fail gently Batteries onboard ships are no longer limited to small UPS banks. Modern vessels carry: These systems store enormous energy in confined spaces. When something goes wrong, the failure is rarely electrical alone — it becomes thermal, […]
UPS Systems on Ships
Why “Emergency Power Available” Is Not the Same as “Emergency Power Useful” Introduction — UPS failures don’t look dramatic, but they end ships’ options Uninterruptible Power Supplies on ships are assumed to be invisible heroes. They sit quietly behind navigation equipment, control systems, communication racks, DP consoles, and automation cabinets. When they work, nobody notices. […]
Thrusters on Ships
High Inertia Loads, Drive Trips, and Why Position Is Lost in Seconds Introduction — thrusters fail when ships need them most Thrusters are high-power, high-inertia electrical loads used during: They operate precisely when: Thrusters are therefore one of the highest-risk electrical consumers on board. Why thrusters are uniquely stressful electrically Thruster systems combine: Starting, stopping, […]
Electric Propulsion on Ships
Why Power Electronics Decide Whether a Ship Can Move at All Introduction — propulsion is no longer mechanical On electrically propelled ships, propulsion is not a shaft connected to a diesel engine. It is a control problem, an electrical stability problem, and a power electronics problem. When propulsion is electric, torque exists only as long […]
Motor Starting Methods on Ships
DOL, Soft Starters & VFDs — Why Starting Philosophy Shapes Blackout Risk Introduction — starting a motor is when ships lose control Most electrical disturbances on ships occur during motor starting, not steady operation. Starting draws high current, collapses voltage, stresses generators, and exposes weaknesses in PMS coordination. Starting philosophy determines whether: Poor starting decisions […]