Vintage active GE switchgear

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I’m not sure any of us are that old…

I’ve only seen that sort of stuff in the process of replacing it. From a modern standpoint, I don’t think there is an OSHA compliant way to operate that without assuming the worst in terms of arc flash ratings, so a full 40cal suit up.
 
Jraef said:
I’m not sure any of us are that old…

I’ve only seen that sort of stuff in the process of replacing it. From a modern standpoint, I don’t think there is an OSHA compliant way to operate that without assuming the worst in terms of arc flash ratings, so a full 40cal suit up.
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Didn't most places that may have still had that kind of gear send their production operations to Mexico or China? Where they probably used more modern gear but still gear that wouldn't be listed for use here?
 
The open 600 volt DC swithboard on the retired NYFD fire boat "Firefighter". This was in service with the NYFD from 1938 to 2010, and the boat is still functional as a museum ship. Two 16 cylinder 1,500 hp diesel engines turned a total of six 600 volt DC generators with a total output of 2200 kW. The switchboard was used to channel power to the propulsion motors and/or the four 5000 GPM fire pump motors.
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don_resqcapt19 said:
The open 600 volt DC swithboard on the retired NYFD fire boat "Firefighter". This was in service with the NYFD from 1938 to 2010, and the boat is still functional as a museum ship. Two 16 cylinder 1,500 hp diesel engines turned a total of six 600 volt DC generators with a total output of 2200 kW. The switchboard was used to channel power to the propulsion motors and/or the four 5000 GPM fire pump motors.
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safe enough for the properly trained
 
drcampbell said:
Sounds like there's a fairly funky assortment of mechanical drive components in there, unless maybe they're all lined up in a row, lineshaft style.

I would sure hate to be anywhere near that switchboard in heavy seas.
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An inline set up with each of the generators having shafts on each end...all coupled together. Out of the 16 cylinder diesel to the largest generator, then coupled to the next one, and then to the smallest generator on the end. I don't remember the generator ratings, but pretty sure the largest one was 900 kW. The switchboard let them send power to the 4 fire pumps and/or the propulsion motors.

Yes, heavy seas could be an issue, but probably not as bad as it looks...would be an ungrounded system so you would have to touch two parts of the exposed switching equipment and not just one and the metal parts as would be the case for a grounded system.

This boat was in Boston last year as part of the NFPA Annual meeting and I took a tour of the boat.
 
Based on the amount of rust and an unknown condition of maintenance, I would recommend that the entire switchboard be de-energized prior to operating any of these switches. It's always possible. It's a nice museum piece, but entirely too old to remain in service unless it is entirely re-furbished. Assuming the generators are no longer running, what is the power source and what's the available fault current?
 
Doesn't great-grandfathering apply here?
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