OVERVIEW

This course introduces the fundamentals of onboard electrical systems and technologies for electric and hybrid propulsion. Students will learn the criteria for preparing the onboard electrical balance and will explore the most innovative solutions (batteries, fuel cells, hydrogen, alternative fuels) to address the ecological transition and reduce emissions in the marine sector.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course aims at providing students with the selection criteria and dimensioning of electrical installations and automation instrumentation and navigation of a pleasure craft

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:
•    Represent the electrical systems on board pleasure craft;
•    List and describe the main regulations;
•    Prepare and analyse a boat’s electrical energy and power balance, properly sizing the system’s components;
•    Compare different hybrid (series, parallel, series-parallel) and all-electric propulsion architectures, critically evaluating their operational advantages and disadvantages;
•    Describe the main energy storage and conversion technologies (batteries, fuel cells) and the potential use of alternative fuels;
•    Assess the environmental impact of propulsion systems, distinguishing between different types of pollutant emissions and identifying strategies and technical approaches for their reduction.

PREREQUISITES

mathematics, physics (thermodynamics and electromagnetism), electrotechnics

TEACHING METHODS

The course is carried out by the teacher through lectures.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

•    Electrical systems on board ships: regulatory bodies, applicable standards, and on-board risks.
•    Types of electrical systems: comparison between direct current and alternating current. Shore connection supply.
•    Electrical energy and power balance: sizing of batteries and generators. Priority and importance of different loads. Practical examples.
•    Electric and hybrid propulsion: operating principles and architectures (series, parallel, and series-parallel hybrid).
•    Innovative onboard energy systems: storage technologies, batteries, fuel cells, photovoltaic panels, supercapacitors.
•    Batteries: operating principles, types, charge-discharge curves, applications, sizing.
•    Fuel cells: operating principles, types, characteristic curves, applications, sizing.
•    Alternative fuels in the marine sector: hydrogen, methanol, ammonia, biofuels.
•    Pollutant emissions: types of emissions, approaches to their assessment, and methods for reducing them.
•    Introduction to marine automation.
•    Guided development of a design project for the preliminary sizing of the systems covered in the course.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

-    RINA – Rules for the Classification of Yachts
-    ISO Standards for Small Craft
-    Mauro Piattelli - Electrical Systems on Ships
-    Materials provided by the lecturer

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

LUCA MALOBERTI (President)

MASSIMO FIGARI

MICHELE MARTELLI

RAPHAEL ZACCONE

LESSONS

LESSONS START

https://corsi.unige.it/8721/p/studenti-orario

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

Written/Oral test.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The exam is divided into two parts:
•    Writing a technical report following a template, which contributes to the final grade.
•    An oral exam consisting of two open-ended questions on the course syllabus. To pass the exam, both answers must receive a passing grade. The final grade is the sum of the points earned on the components described above.

Online registration for exams is required; the exam schedule is available at www.unige.it. No additional exam sessions are scheduled.