Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Re: [Electric Boats] Rewiring DC electric system and Grounding

 

I believe, that the reason of zinc becoming sacrificial if connected to the battery negative, because the lead of the battery plates is "nobler" (-0.13 Volt), than zinc (-0.76 Volt) causing electrolysis on a 24/7 base.
Note, that a main negative switch is not much help if living or staying on the boat, since this switch will be "ON" , reason, I have independent switches for negative starter and windlass leads.
I haven't mentioned yet the increased change on stray currents with battery negative grounded and anybody, who has seen the damage of electrolysis, specially by strays, will become careful to prevent this.

--- On Thu, 3/3/11, Tom <boat_works@yahoo.com> wrote:

From: Tom <boat_works@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [Electric Boats] Rewiring DC electric system and Grounding
To: electricboats@yahoogroups.com
Date: Thursday, March 3, 2011, 1:58 AM

 

Fair enough, Rob.
I worked on a newish French boat that had a battery switch on both negative and positive leads. Maybe that's why they did it.

At anchor I take the chain off the gypsy and ride to a nylon snubber. The chain goes around the samsom post just in case.

That doesn't take care of your engine ground issue, though. I suppose you could use a flexible synthetic coupling at the shaft.

Maybe a switch is the best answer.
-Tom

rob linda <rob_linda_2000@...> wrote:
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> Tom,My remark about "regulations" or "recommendations" was in response to Mike's and Eric's response.The reason of my original post was the "wisdom" or its opposite of connecting battery negative to ground since it eats zinc's and galvanizing of anchor chain.On most boats, NOT connecting battery to ground, can only be achieved if negative leads to starter motor (engine ground) and windlass can be switched off, which is often not the case on newly manufactured boats.Again, this is not an issue for electric propulsion, but also electric boats have windlasses.
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> --- On Wed, 3/2/11, Tom <boat_works@...> wrote:
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> From: Tom <boat_works@...>
> Subject: Re: [Electric Boats] Rewiring DC electric system and Grounding
> To: electricboats@yahoogroups.com
> Date: Wednesday, March 2, 2011, 10:23 PM
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> Rob:
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> The "propulsion electrical system isolation" is a reference to TE-30, which relates to electric propulsion in boats, not ICEs. It isn't difficult to isolate propulsion electrics from house dc systems.
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> E-11 doesn't recommend isolating the battery negative from ground.
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> It does allow you to do so:
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> "E-11.5.4.7.4 If the negative side of the DC system is to be connected to ground..."
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> Also, be aware the ABYC Standards are recommendations, not regulations. There is nothing in the Code of Federal Regulations regarding grounding on recreational boats, as far as I have seen.
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> Hope this clears up some confusion on a complicated topic.
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> -Tom
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> --- In electricboats@yahoogroups.com, rob linda <rob_linda_2000@> wrote:
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> > Mike, Eric,Thanks for responding.I agree with :"The boat's propulsion electrical system (e.g. batteries, generators, inverters) should remain isolated from the boat's grounding systemon-current-carrying conductive parts of the propulsion system (e.g. motor case) should be tied into the boat's grounding system per ABYC E-11 AC & DC Electrical Systems on Boats"However, if the negative lead for the starter motor is connected without a negative switch, as in many boats,o r the housing of the windlass is grounded, again without extra negative switch, there is a continuous connection between battery negative and ground, so isolation becomes  an illusion.Also during operation of ICE engine or windlass, isolation of battery negative from ground becomes impossible on many (most?) boats, simply because of the way starter and windlass motors are constructed.I am aware, that most motors used for electric propulsion have negative terminals isolated from the
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> > housing , so no problem there, to keep negative and ground separated.Chain, zincs etc are expensive, that's why I brought this up and sometimes "regulations" become illusions, if the construction of starter and windlass motors on small boats is not taken into account.
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> > RobS/V Linda
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> >  http://www.evalbum.com/preview.php?vid=3475 http://issuu.com/caribbean-compass/docs/compass_online_november10/27
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> > --- On Wed, 3/2/11, Eric <ewdysar@> wrote:
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> > From: Eric <ewdysar@>
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> > Subject: Re: [Electric Boats] Rewiring DC electric system and Grounding
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> > To: electricboats@yahoogroups.com
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> > Date: Wednesday, March 2, 2011, 6:26 PM
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> > Rob,
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> > I don't think that this forum of electric boat enthusiasts is the right group to determine the "correct" methodology for specific techinical questions like you have posed.
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> > But there are a number of resources that can provide answers, like the ABYC and experts like Nigel Calder in his "Boatowner's Mechanical and Electrical Manual".
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> > The ABYC seems to be the only group that has published definitive answers about grounding electric propulsion systems. Their standards state ". NThe boat's propulsion electrical system (e.g. batteries, generators, inverters) should remain isolated from the boat's grounding systemon-current-carrying conductive parts of the propulsion system (e.g. motor case) should be tied into the boat's grounding system per ABYC E-11 AC & DC Electrical Systems on Boats". This is from the "grounding" section of ABYC TE-30 Electric Propulsion Systems.
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> > So the current carrying parts of electric drive systems should be isolated from the boat's regular (12V) grounding system and the 12V house system should be grounded just like any other boat. I also would assume that any AC system onboard an electric boat should be installed according to the standards defined for any other boat too.
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> > Therefore, like Mike stated before, the propulsion system, the 12V house system and the AC system should be treated as 3 independant systems and the common boat standards for dealing with AC and 12V should be followed. This would include any "conductive path between battery negative and the ocean".
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> > I hope that this answers your question.
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> > Fair winds,
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> > Eric
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> > Marina del Rey, CA
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> > --- In electricboats@yahoogroups.com, rob linda <rob_linda_2000@> wrote:
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> > > Living on an anchored boat, I would like feedback on the following:Most anchor windlasses use a series (starter) motor with negative ground.The motor housing connects to the windlass, the gypsy, the chain and seawater, creating a conductive path between battery negative and the sea.It is widely believed, that this causes the galvanizing (zinc) of the chain to disappear rapidly.Reason I and many others have an extra switch in the negative windlass lead, which lives in the 'OFF' position, except when the windlass is used.On a similar note, some have an extra negative switch for the starter motor of the main engine, keeping negative and ground separated, to prevent the fast eating away of sacrificial zinc anodes etc.Both windlass motor and starter motor are typically automotive of the shelve.I have understood, that professional marine motors have their negative terminal separated from the
> housing (ground), for that reason.It seems
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> > to me, that an
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> > > ELECTRIC boat forum should have a clear consensus on a simple question as :"Should there be a conductive path between battery negative and the ocean?"
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> > > RobS/V Linda
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> > > http://www.evalbum.com/preview.php?vid=3475http://issuu.com/caribbean-compass/docs/compass_online_november10/27
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