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ELECTRIC MACHINES AND MAINTENANCE

OVERVIEW

The teaching unit aims to give an overview of the main electrical machines and drive systems used on ships along with their diagnostic and maintenance. The basic working principles AC electrical machines and power electronics system will be presented from a theoretical and practical point of view.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

• Provide elements on the electrical equipment construction for low and high voltage applications.
• Provide the elements for diagnostics and maintenance of electromechanical components.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of the teaching unit the student is expected:

• to understand the theoretical principles of AC electrical machines
• to understand the theoretical principles of power electronic inverters
• to solve problems related to the operation of electrical machines
• to solve problems related to the operation of power electronic inverters

Furthermore, the student is expected to learn the principles of the maintenance of electrical equipment by predictive diagnostics techniques for early detection of failure conditions. In particular, proactive and predictive maintenance through measurements related to insulation systems and specifically by partial discharge measurements. The student is also expected to understand the Implementation of digital measurement techniques for the acquisition of PD Pattern and the use of static analysis of acquired data for the morphological identification of defects.

PREREQUISITES

The student expected background to fully understand the content of the teaching unit is related to the basics of electric circuits, especially three-phase AC systems and electromagnetism. For the part relevant to the diagnostic basic functional and constructive knowledge of electrical machines.

TEACHING METHODS

• For the Electrical Machines part: 24 hours of theoretical lectures in class and practical exercises during the lectures.
• For the maintenance part: 18 hours of classroom teaching and 6 hours of laboratory activities.

Working students and students with certified SLD (Specific Learning Disorders), disability or other special educational needs are advised to contact the teacher at the beginning of the course to agree on teaching and examination arrangements so to take into account individual learning patterns, while respecting the teaching objectives.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The teaching unit will cover the following topics:

• Fundamentals of AC electrical machines employed in shipboard systems:
  • Electromechanical energy conversion
  • Transformers
  • Synchronous machines
  • Asynchronous machines
  • Basics of machine losses
• Power electronics for drive systems
  • Basics of power devices and gate driver circuits
  • Three phase converter and its application to drive systems
  • Inverter deadtimes
  • Basics of inverter losses
  • Protective devices
• Insulating systems and insulating materials. Ageing. Proactive, preventive and predictive maintenance. Types of failure of transformers and rotating machines. Fault analysis and Ishikawa diagrams. Examples of detailed Ishikawa diagrams for different types of rotating machine failure. Conventional offline diagnostic techniques on insulation systems. Mechanical and electrical measures for bearing diagnostics in rotating machines. Online and offline diagnostic techniques related to stator and rotor windings of synchronous and asynchronous machines. Online and offline diagnostic techniques related to insulating systems of oil and cast resins transformers. The phenomenon of partial discharges. Measurement of partial discharges as a diagnostic tool for predictive maintenance. Low and high frequency partial discharge measurement systems for conducted and irradiated signals. Integration into the time and frequency domain. Design of the measurement impedance for quasi-integration. Analog and digital PD measurement systems. Analog signal analysis for defect detection. Data analysis in digital measurement systems. Statistical outlines. Data processing for defect detection with digital measuring systems. Defect classification and degree of hazard. Measurement systems in the case of inverter power supplies. Safety requirements for working on shipboard electrical systems, including the safe isolation of electrical equipment required before personnel are permitted to work on such equipment. Maintenance and repair of electrical system equipment, switchboards, electric motors, generator and DC electrical systems and equipment. Safety measures to be taken for repair and maintenance, including the safe isolation of shipboard machinery and equipment required before personnel are permitted to work on such machinery or equipment.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

• Krause, P. C., Wasynczuk, O., Sudhoff, S. D., & Pekarek, S. (2013). Analysis of electric machinery and drive systems
• Fitzgerald, A. E., Kingsley, C., Umans, S. D., & James, B. (2003). Electric machinery
• Mohan, N., Undeland, T. M., & Robbins, W. P. (2003). Power electronics: converters, applications, and design
• Notes of the teaching unit
• Electrical Insulation for Rotating Machines, Greg C. Stone et alt, IEEE PRESS
• IEC standards

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

• ANDREA FORMENTINI
• FRANCESCO GUASTAVINO
• LAURA DELLA GIOVANNA

Exam Board

• FRANCESCO GUASTAVINO (President)
• MARIO MARCHESONI
• EUGENIA TORELLO
• LUIS RAMON VACCARO
• LAURA DELLA GIOVANNA (President Substitute)
• ANDREA FORMENTINI (President Substitute)

LESSONS

LESSONS START

The timetable for this course is available.

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

Oral Exam

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The candidate must demonstrate knowledge of the subject by correctly answering the questions asked by reasoning on the covered topics.

Exam schedule

• 22/12/2025, 10:00, GENOVA, Orale
• 12/01/2026, 10:00, GENOVA, Orale
• 03/02/2026, 10:00, GENOVA, Orale
• 20/02/2026, 10:00, GENOVA, Orale
• 10/06/2026, 10:00, GENOVA, Orale
• 01/07/2026, 10:00, GENOVA, Orale
• 08/09/2026, 10:00, GENOVA, Orale

CODE AND DETAILS

• CODE:
• ACADEMIC YEAR: 2025/2026
• CREDITS:
• SCIENTIFIC DISCIPLINARY SECTOR: ING-IND/32
• LANGUAGE: English
• TEACHING LOCATION: GENOVA
• SEMESTER: 1° Semester
• TEACHING MATERIALS: AULAWEB