ELECTRICITY I: Introduction

Definitions
DC Systems
AC Systems
 Electrical Parameters
 Charge: q,Q (Coulombs)—the element of electrical
energy transport
 Current: i,I (Amperes)—the rate of flow of charges (1
amp = 1 Coul/sec)
 Voltage: [potential or EMF]: v,e,V,E (Volts)—energy
per charge gained or lost (1 volt = 1 joule/coul)
 Power: p,P (Watts)—the rate of electrical energy
production, transmission or consumption (1 watt = 1
joule/sec = 1 joule/coul x 1 coul/sec = 1 volt x 1 ampere
—1.e., P = V x I)
 Resistance: R (Ohms)—the opposition to charge flow
measured as the ratio of voltage to current (R = V/I: I =
V/R; or V = IxR) n
Charge
 Charges come in “packets” of Coulombs
 either positive + or negative —
 opposite charges attract:
+ —
 Like charges repel:
+ +
 One electron = -1.602 x 10-19 coul
 One (neg) coulomb = 6.24 x 1018 electrons
That’s 6 ¼ million trillion electroms!
 Current
electron flow
—

+
“conventional current”

pos
neg

The # coulombs (+ or — ) passing any point in one second

= CURRENT in Amperes
 Voltage
… energy (in joules) gained (+) or lost (-) by a coulomb of
charge moving from point A to point B
Note: voltage is measured between two points (vs. at
a point, like current); it is a comparison of potential

12 V Each coul Each coul

battery: gains 12 gives up
1 volt = joules 12 joules
1 joule through through
coul battery bulb

+ A
 Voltage
… similar to the energy (in lb-in) gained (+) or lost (-) by
a cu. in. of liquid moving from point A to point B in a
piping system
Thus: voltage (joule/coul) ~ pressure (lb-in/in3), and
current (coul/sec) ~ fluid flow (GPM)
B

12 psi Each in3 Each in3

pump: gains 12 gives up
1 psi = lb-in 12 lb-in
1 lb-in through through
in3 pump valve

A
 Power
The rate at which energy is delivered to a fluid is
pressure x flow. In English units: psi x GPM = HP
1714
In S.I. units: N x m3 = N-m = joule = watts !
m2 sec sec sec
B

12 psi Each in3 Each in3

pump: gains 12 gives up
1 psi = lb-in 12 lb-in
1 lb-in through through
in3 pump valve

A
 Power
The rate at which energy is delivered to (or retrieved
from) charges is voltage x current (~ pressure x flow).
joules (= volts) x coul (= amps) = joules = watts
coul sec sec
1 coul/sec B

12 V Each coul Each coul

battery: gains 12 gives up
1 volt = joules 12 joules
1 joule through through
coul battery bulb
12 x 1 12 x 1
+ A watts
watts
supplied consumed
 Power
 In most power systems the source voltage is
constant
 The number & types of loads “turned on”
determine the current and power

60
120 V
60W 240W 180W + 240
source
0.5 A

2.0 A

1.5 A
+ 180
watts
120 x 2.5
4.0
0.5 consumed
watts
supplied
Power & Energy
 The more items turned on, the more power we
draw
 The longer we let things run, the more energy
we consume
 Energy = Power x Time
(watts x sec = joules)
 We are billed for energy consumption in
$/kW-hr
 A kW-hr is 1000 W x 3600 seconds =
3.6 million joules !
Resistance
 What determines how much current a given
consumer will draw? — It’s resistance.
 A 120 V, 60-watt bulb draws ½ amperes (120V x
0.5A = 60W) because it has a resistance of 240
ohms (). [ V/I = 120 V / 0.5A = 240 ]
 The higher the resistance to the movement of
charges, the less current through the device
A bulb with a 360 filament draws only 120/360 = 1/3
A and consumes only 120 x 1/3 = 40 watts
 What is the resistance of a 1200-watt hair-dryer?
Voltage, Current, Power & Resistance

P V
V I I R

1200
180 120
12
120 15
12 10 12
10 0.8
15
Direct Current (DC) Systems
 “DC” simply means “constant”
 DC currents flow in one direction
 DC voltages remain at a (nearly) constant level
 Examples of DC Voltage Sources* are:
 Batteries
 DC Generators (or simply “generators”)
 Rectifiers—electronic circuits which convert
“AC” to “DC” Rectifiers with additional
voltage regulating circuitry are called
“Regulated Power Supplies”
*DC Voltages sources are analogous to centrifugal pumps:
nearly constant pressure with flow determined by
connected system elements (loads)
 Automotive DC circuit
+
ALTERNATOR

Head Lamps

Signals, etc.
RECT

Spark Plugs
X &

Radio
V.Reg

-
“Chasis Return”

-------

ENGINE
SHIP’s AC
TSES VI DC Systems
POWER

+
+ + +
RECT 12 V 12 V

- -
& ~27 24
V.Reg
VDC + + VDC
12 V 12 V

- - -
- GENERAL
ALARM
 TSES VI DC Systems
 There are two 24 V DC Systems on the TSES
NORMAL
DC EMERG
General
+ Alarm
24 V GA Circuits
SHIP’s Battery
Bank
AC GA Battery
POWER Charger -
NORMAL
EMERG Internal
DC Communications
+ Circuits
24 V IC oNavig,
Battery oInstrum,
Bank oetc,
IC Battery
Charger
-
Alternating Current (AC) Systems
 “AC” refers to the sinusoidal pattern of changing values
 AC voltages reverse polarity according to this pattern

B
+

- A
 AC currents reverse direction according to this pattern
 AC Definitions
PEAK VALUE

EFFECTIVE VALUE

 Magnitude: PEAK value

or EFFECTIVE* (rms) value =
PEAK/√2 (= 0.707 x PEAK)
* nominal voltages & currents are EFFECTIVE values (120V light bulb,
15 amp fuse, etc.)
 AC Definitions
PEAK T (sec)
EFF

 Magnitude:
 Frequency:
 The Period is the time, T, (in sec) between peaks
 Frequency, f, is the number of cycles completed in one
second—thus: f = 1/T in cps or Hertz
 In the U.S., the standard frequency is 60 Hertz
 AC Definitions
= 0
PEAK T (sec)
EFF

- +

t=0 t=0 t=0

 Magnitude:
 Frequency:
 Phase (angle):
 Descibes the starting point of the sinusoid: a voltage or
current with 0o phase angle starts at the peak value (i.e., a “cosine”)
 A voltage with a positive phase angle starts after the peak.
 A voltage with a negative phase angle starts before the
peak (a -90o phase angle is a “sine wave”
 Single-phase, 2-wire AC
Live terminal, A rises above &
‘Live” wire falls below ground potential
A
EFFECTIVE VALUE

Grounded
“neutral” 120 volts
N

Neutral, N remains at
ground potential (0 Volts)
 Single-phase, 3-wire AC
Live terminal, A rises above &
‘Live” wire falls below ground potential
A

Grounded VAN(eff)=
“neutral”
120 volts VAB(eff)=
N
240 volts
VBN(eff)=
-120 volts
‘Live” wire
B
Neutral, N remains at
Live terminal, B falls below & rises ground potential (0 Volts)
above ground potential
 Three-phase, 4-wire AC
 Line Voltages: VAB, VBC, VCA

A B C
‘Live” wire
120o 120o 120o
A

120o 120o
Grounded
“neutral”
N
120o
‘Live” wire ‘Live” wire
C B
 Phase Voltages: VAN, VBN, VCN
 Three-phase, 4-wire AC
 Dual Voltage: VL = √3 x VLN
A  Some examples:

VLN VL
√3 1 √3 120 V 120 x √3
= 208 V
Maritime
College
277 V 277 x √3 Industrial
1 N
1 = 480 V Facility
2400 V 2400 x √3 Con Ed
C √3 B = 4160 V distrib.
 Domestic Distribution
4-wire, three-phase: 4160/2400 V Utiliy Lines

10:1 step-down TRANSFORMER

3-wire (a, b, n), single phase

120 V Van=Vbn= 120 V; Vab= 240 V
120 V
4 OR 5 HOUSES …

VAN= 2400 V
(2 wire, 1-phase)

M
Grounded M
Neutral
 Domestic Distribution
3-wire (a, b, n), single phase
Van=Vbn= 120 V; Vab= 240 V
kW-hr
Main Circuit Breaker
Meter (100A)

Branch Living Room

All
SW Basement Bed Rooms 2-wire,
Dining 1-phase,
Room (120 V)
Kitchen 1 Kitchen 2

? 240 V
APPLIANCE

Circuit Breaker
Panel
Domestic Distribution
 Residential &
Commercial systems
are grounded
 So if a “live” wire
comes in contact with
ground…
 A l;arge amount of
current may return to
the neutral through
the ground
 Until the circuit
breaker trips
Domestic Distribution

HTR
Domestic Distribution

HTR
 Still considered 2-
wire…
 Green wire not a
source of power for
appliance
 Three-phase, 3-wire AC
 Line Voltages: VAB, VBC, VCA

A B C
“Live”
120o 120o 120o
wire A

120o 120o
Grounded
“neutral”
N
120o
“Live” wire “Live” wire
C B  TSES VI: 450 V, 3-phase, 3-wire
 Phase Voltages: VAN
, VBN, VCN
UNGROUNDED
 Three-phase, 3-wire AC
 So where do we get 120 V for lighting?
A B C  TRANSFORMERS
a b c
“3-pole”
C/B
450 V 120 V

450 V 120 V

LIGHTING
PANEL
450 V 120 V
 Shipboard Lighting (Ungrounded)
3-phase, 3-wire
FEEDER

ab Staterooms, Staterooms, ab
P inbd, fwd S inbd, fwd

Passageway Passageway bc
bc
Port fwd Stbd fwd

Staterooms, Staterooms,
ba ba
P Outbd, fwd S Outbd, fwd

Staterooms, Staterooms,
ab ab
P Inbd, Aft S Inbd, Aft

“2-pole”
1-phase, 3-wire
C/B a b c BRANCHES
 3-phase, 3-wire AC (Ungrounded)
 So what if a conductor becomes grounded?
A B C  Nothing… almost
A

3- 450 V 450 V

LOAD

C 450 V B
3-
LOAD Ground
Indicating
Lamps