1.How do you check continuity?

Set the multimeter in resistance mode and then check with probes the
resistance between the points or circuit under check. If the resistance is
low or zero, it means continuity. If it is high or infinite, it means open
circuit.

2. What limits the electrical load?

The available power is fixed and the voltage is fixed, so the setting of the
breaker or fuse is the normal current of the load. If the load exceeds the
rated current, then the breaker or fuse will operate and limit the load.

3. What is the voltage used in a megger?

500V DC

4. How does current flow during welding?

The current flows through the electrode and to the clamp. That’s how it
flows in MIG, stick, flux cored. On Tig, the electricity flows through the
electrode also except that now that’s the only function of it, the rod is
held in your hand and electrode in the other.
5. What is the voltage used for ignition in boilers/ incinerators etc?

Normally 10,000V (10KV)

6. Why is it different from that for welding?

It is higher as ignition requires break down of air gap for spark to occur.
The air breaks down at this high voltage of 10KV. Therefore, it is higher
than normal welding voltage.

7. Does current flow through hull during welding?

Yes

8. If so why don’t you get a shock?

Because the whole hull is at the same potential, so there is no potential

difference to get a shock.

9. What is safe voltage to prevent shock?

Normally 50V. It depends on the body resistance and how conducting. The
path is (example use of insulating boots or mat may allow slightly higher
voltage to be safe).

10. What is tube light? On which principle does a tube light work?
Tube shaped fluorescent lamp is termed as tube light. which works on low
pressure Mercury vapor discharge phenomenon and converts ultra violate
ray into visible ray with the help of phosphor coated inside glass tube.

The materials used to build a tube light are given below.

1. Filament coils as electrodes, 2.Phosphor coated glass bulb, 3. Mercury

drop, 4. Inert gases (argon), 5. Electrode shield, 6. End cap , 7. Glass stem

Auxiliary electrical components along with tube light:

The tube light does not work directly on power supply. It needs some
auxiliary components to work. They are-

Ballast: It may be electromagnetic ballast or electronic ballast

Starter: The starter is a small neon glow up lamp that contains a fixed
contact, a bimetallic strip and a small capacitor
Working principle of tube light-

When the switch is ON, full voltage will come across the tube light
through ballast and fluorescent lamp starter. No discharge happens
initially i.e. no lumen output from the lamp.

At that full voltage first the glow discharge is established in the starter.
This is because the electrodes gap in the neon bulb of starter is much
lesser than that of inside the fluorescent lamp .

Then gas inside the starter gets ionized due to this full voltage and heats
the bimetallic strip that is caused to be bent to connect to the fixed
contact. Current starts flowing through the starter. Although the
ionization potential of the neon is little bit more than that of the argon
but still due to small electrode gap high voltage gradient is appeared in
the neon bulb and hence glow discharge is started first in starter.

As voltage gets reduced due to the current causes a voltage drop across
the inductor, the strip cools and breaks away from the fixed contact. At
that moment a large L di/dt voltage surge comes across the inducter at
the time of breaking .

This high valued surge comes across the tube light electrodes and strike
penning mixture (mixture argon gas and mercury vapor).

Gas discharge process continues and current gets path to flow through the
tube light gas only due to low resistance as compared to resistance of
starter.

The discharge of mercury atoms produces ultra violet radiation which in

turn excites the phosphor powder coating to radiate visible light.

Starter gets inactive during operation of tube light.

11. What will happen without Starter and Ballast in tube light?

Without the starter, a steady stream of electrons is never created between

the two filaments, and the lamp flickers.

Without the ballast, the arc is a short circuit between the two filaments,
and this short circuit contains a lot of current. The current either vaporizes
the filaments or causes the bulb to explode.

12. What is the funtion of the choke?

The choke has two main functions. In conjunction with the starter it
causes the tube to ignite by using the back emf to create a plasma in the
tube and it controls the current through the tube when it is ignited.

13. Where is a slip ring used and where is a commutator used?

Slip ring are commonly found in slip ring motors, electrical generators for
alternating current systems and alternators. They can be used on any
rotating object to transfer power.

A commutator is a common feature of direct current rotating machines.

By reversing the current direction in the moving coil of a motor’s
armature, a steady rotating force (torque) is produced.

14. What is Capacitance?

Capacitance is the ability of a body to store an electric charge. Any body

or structure that is capable of being charged, either with static electricity
or by an electric current exhibits capacitance. C=Q/V Where Q is the
charge and V is the voltage.

15. Does current flow through a Capacitor?

No. Current (or more specifically charge) flows into one plate, and an
opposing current (charge) flows out of the other plate, but the current
(except for leakage current) does not flows across the dielectric. The result
is the that there is a charge differential between plates.

16. What is the unit for Capacitance?

Farad

17. What voltage consider to high voltage?

The voltage more than 1000V is high voltage.

18. Is the ship’s alternator star wound or Delta wound?

Alternators are star wound. Because

1. star type winding offers high voltage and low current and hence is most
preffered because it is easier to transmit high voltages over the
transmission lines than that of high current. This is mainly done to reduce
the core or power loss (p = I2R). The more the current the higher the
losses. As a result, we opt for Star type windings than delta because delta
windings tend to give out more current and less voltage and thus requires
other equipments like step up transformers, relays to be added on extra
thereby increasing the cost as well.

2. It is very important for an alternator to have a neutral point. This

neutral point is to be grounded through a resistor, for stability purposes.
The neutral allows a path for circulating currents under unbalanced loaded
conditions, and also during faults. If there was no path for the flow of
fault current, and a line to ground fault occurs in one of the three phases,
there would be a rise in voltages in the other two healthy phases and
eventually, it would cause insulation failure in the other two phases and
the line to ground fault would lead to a 3 phase fault. A neutral point
would avoid all this and limit the fault condition to one phase only.
Insulation would be protected, and the lines can be operational after fault
isolation. If
For all this to happen, star connection in the stator is absolutely necessary.

19. What is the meaning of ACB, MCCB, NFB?

Air circuit breaker for 400V Higher current ratings.

Moulded case circuit breaker for 400V medium current ratings.

No Fuse Breaker-75 A capacity

20. What is a magnetic contactor? Where is it used?

A Contactor is an electrically controlled switch used for switching a power

circuit, similar to a relay except with higher current ratings.

Contactor are used to control electric motors, lighting, heating, capacitor

banks and other electricals loads.

21. What is a relay? How is it different from a magnetic contactor?

Contactor is a heavy duty switch whereas the relay is light duty switch,
Relays can be as simple as 12 V DC, 0.5 A rated contacts. They are used to
detect fault on the power system and signal a local or remote switching
device (breaker) to trip the circuit.

22. What are the method of Induction Motor starting?

1.Direct on line (DOL) starting

2. Star-Delta starting

3. Auto Transformer Starting

23. Can you draw a DOL starter circuit?

[Read description also DOL Starter. you may need to elaborate diagram.
Refer Dennis T.Hall Electrical book]

24. What is the meaning of overload?

An overload is a current over and above the normal load current ( over the
load). In other words greater than the original design current. This can be
a momentary overload such as the starting current for a motor which is
usually ignored or it can be a sustained overload such as plugging in too
many appliances at once or a motor that has faulty bearing or gets
jammed.

25. What is meaning of short circuit?

A short circuit occurs when conductors are connected (shorts) together by

a fault. This is normally phase to phase fault due to failure of insulation by
something cutting the wires, fires, etc.
26. How is protection provided for OL and SC?

Damage from short circuits and overload can be reduced or prevented by

employing fuses, circuit breakers or other overload protection, which
disconnect the power in reaction to excessive current. The tripping time is
much less ( in milli seconds) for short circuit due to very high currents but
can higher (a few seconds) due to currents say 1.1 to 1.5 times the normal
current.

27. What is the function of a fuse?

Fuse plasces a limit on the amount of current that can be drawn by an

electric circuit by opening ( blowing or melting) when the current exceeds
a preset limit. This protects the circuit and the surrounding from fire or
damage in the case of an overload or short circuit.