Marine generators & power management

Where a small fault becomes a blackout

High-load distribution is where a small fault becomes a blackout. A loose busbar termination or a breaker that no longer trips to its curve does not announce itself — it shows up as heat, then as a nuisance trip, then as a section lost under load.

Boards are inspected, tested and torqued to specification, with readings recorded so the next survey has a baseline to compare against. A single set of readings tells you the state today; a series tells you what is degrading, which is the point of keeping them.

Scope of work

High-load circuit breaker service

Inspection, contact condition and operational testing on main and section breakers.

Generator synchronising panels

Synchronising, load sharing and changeover logic checked against the panel’s own scheme.

Emergency power supply testing

Emergency generator start, changeover and load acceptance exercised and recorded.

Insulation resistance & thermography

Insulation measured per circuit and boards scanned under load to locate high-resistance joints before they fail.

Busbar torque & connection audit

Terminations torqued to the manufacturer’s figure and the value recorded against the connection.

Shore connection and changeover

Shore supply interlocks and changeover sequence verified so the two sources cannot be paralleled in error.

Insulation resistance tester in its case on a workbench beside an open switchboard, test leads connected and a record sheet alongside

Attendance sequence

Phase	Stage	Actions and deliverables
01	Measured readings	Insulation resistance, load current, temperature and torque values taken per circuit rather than per board.
02	Photo record	Before and after each termination or panel opened, timestamped, so the work is evidenced rather than described.
03	Parts & work list	What was replaced, what was adjusted and what remains outstanding, itemised.
04	Recommendations	Defects found but not addressed, each with a priority against the next docking.

What is measured

Every figure below is recorded against the circuit it was taken on, so the next survey compares against a baseline rather than starting again.

Insulation resistance

Measured to 1000 V on motor windings, cable runs and switchboard circuits, logged per circuit.

Load current

True RMS under actual load, including inrush capture on motors and heavy DC circuits.

Thermal survey

Breaker sections, busbars and terminations scanned under load — loose joints and unbalanced phases show as heat long before they trip.

Termination torque

Busbar and breaker terminations tightened to the manufacturer’s figure with calibrated tools, and the value recorded.

Where this work is carried out

Vessels attended in port or at anchor across the North Adriatic, including the commercial quays at Koper.

Croatia Pula, Rovinj, Vrsar, Poreč, Umag, Novigrad

Slovenia Izola, Koper, Portorož

Italy Trieste, Muggia

Questions asked most often

Why record torque values rather than just tighten the connection?

Because a recorded value is the only way the next inspection can tell whether a joint has relaxed. A termination that reads correct today and loose in six months is a different problem from one that was never tightened properly.

Can thermography be done with the vessel working?

It has to be. A thermal scan is only meaningful under load — boards scanned cold show nothing. Sections are surveyed at maximum continuous load where the operating pattern allows.

Are readings supplied in a form a surveyor can use?

Yes. Readings are logged per circuit with a timestamped photographic record, plus an itemised list of what was replaced, adjusted and left outstanding with a priority against the next docking.

What happens to defects found but not fixed on the day?

They go on the recommendations list with a priority, rather than being quietly closed. Nothing is opened further or ordered without written authorisation.

Generator & power management