That's a sweet design Arild, I especially like the grouping of the secondary panels, even in different zones, only six feet from the main panel.
The only thing I could object to is the 400 amp fuse, but I completely understand why you put it there. Large DC breakers are very expensive and hard to find, but I like breakers because you can turn off the power in case things go south, and reset it when you find the problem. It was obviously a large (expensive) boat that could afford a breaker. I have always loved latching relays. I found some 700 amp (or so, I'm not aboard tonight to check) 12 VDC units at Sailors Exchange a couple of years ago. I want to (the round-tuit hasn't arrive yet) use to parallel the house and start batts controlled from the helm position. But Ann-Marie's combiner has actually removed the urge to do that. My start battery is always fully charged now, spins the genset rapidly every time. Norm S/V Bandersnatch Lying Julington Creek 30 07.695N 081 38.484W > [Original Message] > From: Arild Jensen <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <[email protected]> > Date: 7/22/2008 6:06:04 PM > Subject: Re: [Liveaboard] 12 VDC buss > > Philip McConnell wrote: > > Norm, > > > > Do you try to group breakers and fuses? Like maybe having a small panel > > in each cabin? If not, what system do you use for locating them so they > > can easily be found in a pinch? > > > > Thanks, > > > > Philip McConnell > REPLY > That is the approach I took on my latest design. Each sub panel > location has three panels. 230V, 120V and DC. > We only needed 6 or 8 breakers per location except for one central > panel because all the galley devices hotel services pumps etc, wer > within six cabel feet of the panel but on opposite sides of bulkheads > and above or below the main deck. > > The main power busses were run fore and aft inside two 3" PVC > conduits. AC in one and DC in the other. These are protected by 400A > Class T fuses. > A 400 amp fuse protects the main bus cables and indiviidual breakers > protect each branch circuit. Since starter circuits are fed from > independent battery start current is not an issue. > > The helm area has its own DC panel for navigation gear. A DC- DC > converter handles the step down from 24V to 12V .for those few devices > that cannot use 24V. > > For the few circuits where remote control is desirable I use latching > relays. These do not use power except when actually toggling from on to > of or vice versa. > An added advantage of latching relays is the ease with which you can > have multi point control of the same circuit. For example, you can turn > on all deck lights from pilot house, exit to cockpit or even by a > wireless remote for when you return after dark by dinghy. > Arild > > > _______________________________________________ > Liveaboard mailing list > [email protected] > To adjust your membership settings over the web http://www.liveaboardnow.org/mailman/listinfo/liveaboard > To subscribe send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > To unsubscribe send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > The archives are at http://www.liveaboardnow.org/pipermail/liveaboard/ > > To search the archives http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] > > The Mailman Users Guide can be found here http://www.gnu.org/software/mailman/mailman-member/index.html _______________________________________________ Liveaboard mailing list [email protected] To adjust your membership settings over the web http://www.liveaboardnow.org/mailman/listinfo/liveaboard To subscribe send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] The archives are at http://www.liveaboardnow.org/pipermail/liveaboard/ To search the archives http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] The Mailman Users Guide can be found here http://www.gnu.org/software/mailman/mailman-member/index.html
