Motor Diagnostics at the First Port of Call

August may be a holiday month across much of Europe, but vessels continue operating — and technical problems still need answers.

When a customer’s cruise ship developed a problem involving a 540 kW, 6.6 kV electric motor integrated into a Carrier compressor system, the Valiadis technical team was mobilised immediately.

The engineers travelled to the first port of call where the vessel was scheduled to berth and boarded the ship carrying a Megger ADX-15 diagnostic system, in order to assess the electrical condition of the motor without unnecessary delay.

On-Board Electrical Testing

A series of diagnostic measurements was carried out on board, including winding resistance, surge, high-potential and Partial Discharge tests.

These measurements provided the information required to evaluate the condition of the motor insulation and identify whether further intervention would be necessary.

The complete diagnostic report was prepared and delivered to the customer on the same day, allowing the technical condition of the motor to be assessed promptly and the next decisions to be based on actual measurements.

When Operations Cannot Wait

Marine equipment does not always choose a convenient time to require attention.

Whether in the workshop or on board, the important thing is to obtain reliable information quickly enough for the right technical decision to follow.

Sometimes that means taking the instruments to the machine.

And sometimes it means meeting the ship at its next port.