| | | Direct current: 12 or 24V Direct Current (DC) is most common in batteries This arrangement is based on a positive and negative pole, with the current flowing in a single direction Onboard electric circuits mostly function at 12 or 24 Volts The low difference in voltage means that higher levels of current intensity require thicker wires Directcurrentcanbestoredinbatteriesforlateruse Alternating current: 230V/50Hz or 120V/60Hz You will be familiar with the term Alternating Current (AC) from the electricity grid - most equipment and appliances are designed to run on AC The polarity of the current constantly alternates, positive turns to negative and vice versa The standard arrangement in Europe is a voltage of 230 Volt with an alternating frequency of 50Hertz, while it is 120V with 60Hz in the US. The intensity of the current can be very high even with relatively thin wires. Alternating current cannot be stored for later use, unless it is first converted to direct current. Electricity generation: generators, alternators and solar power You are never truly independent onboard a boat until you can generate your own power. This can be done with a marine generator for 230V alternating current, with analternatorfor12or24Vdirect current, or with solar power. | | |
| | | Electric power can be compared to water in a river - it requires a source to exist, and differences in altitude to flow. The greater the flow,the morepowerfulthecurrentwill become Runningwater provides the capacity to set things in motion: In this process, the current is slowed down - used up, if you like You can discuss electric current with your Mastervolt advisor in a similar way andusethesetermstotalkabouteverythingrequiredforthe proper functioning of all your onboard equipment. Basic terms • Power sources: shore power, generators, alternators, or a charged battery. • Voltage: difference in altitude = difference in voltage between • Amperage: size of current = intensity of electric power • Watt or VA: capacity = voltage x power intensity • Demand: the amount of Watts necessary to use connected equipment Electric circuits on board Both 12V or 24V direct current and 230V/120V alternating current - sometimes combined - are widely used for onboard power | | Power conversion There are many considerations involved in the proper and durable function of electrical consumers. Choosing the right voltage. Opting for DC or AC. Attaining the right frequency and achieving the appropriate current intensity. Mastervolt offers a full range of hardware for the customised conversion of supplied or generated power (conversion/transformation) Stored power: batteries and chargers A power reserve can be stored in a battery and charged through a shore connection, generator, alternator or solar power. The charging process is chemical and must be carefully supervised. Mastervolt has a range of equipment that is perfectly suited to this task | | |
| | | Devices marked with an asterisk need a great deal of power when starting up.You can find more information about this on page 151 (generators) • 1 kilo Volt Amp is the same as 1000 Watts. A 750W hair dryer, for instance, needs 0.75 kVA • To calculate total consumption, add up the kVA values of all the devices • Since, in practice, you will not be using all your equipment at once, make an estimation of the running time for each device • The consumption level for most equipment is displayed on the device itself or in the enclosed documentation • Before purchasing, remember that most suppliers also publish information about the consumption of their equipment online | | |