Transport Publication TP 127 E
19.1 General
19.1.1 Accumulator batteries shall be of lead-acid or of nickel-alkaline type, with due consideration being given to suitability for a specific application or location. The batteries may be either the vented or the valve regulated sealed electrolyte type.
19.2 Construction
19.2.1 The cells of vented batteries shall be so constructed as to prevent spilling of electrolyte due to an inclination of the ship of 30° from the normal and the emission of electrolyte spray.
19.2.2 Batteries shall not be tapped for voltages other than the total voltage of all the cells comprising the battery.
19.3 Assembly
19.3.1 A vented battery shall be arranged so that each cell is accessible from the top for inspection, testing, adding electrolyte, or cleaning and the units which form the battery shall be assembled in a tray of wood or other suitable material.
19.3.2 When batteries are arranged in two or more tiers, all shelves, except the lowest, shall have not less than 50mm space front and back, for circulation of air.
19.3.3 Every battery shall have each unit supported on insulators of vitreous porcelain, ebonite or equivalent material, which may form an integral part of the container, and insulators of similar material shall be employed to prevent any movement of the cells arising from the motion of the ship.
19.3.4 Each individual battery bank shall be provided with a durable nameplate securely attached, bearing the manufacturer’s name and address and type designation, the ampere hour rating at a specific rate of discharge for both the vented and sealed type batteries. The vented battery nameplate shall also indicate the specific gravity of the electrolyte when fully charged.
19.3.5 The interior of all battery compartments including crates, trays, boxes, shelves and other structural parts therein shall be protected against the deteriorating effect of the electrolyte by: (a) electrolyte-resisting coating; or (b) lining of electrolyte-resisting material.
19.3.6 The lining of metal shelves shall be watertight and, for lead-acid batteries the lining shall be of lead sheet, with a minimum thickness of 1.5 mm and carried up to not less than 75 mm on all sides; for alkaline batteries the shelves shall be lined with steel in a similar manner and, the linings shall be not less than 0.8 mm thickness.
19.4 Installation and Location
19.4.1 Batteries shall be located where they are not exposed to excessive heat, extreme cold, spray, steam or other conditions which would impair performance or accelerate deterioration.
19.4.2 Batteries shall not be installed in sleeping quarters.
19.4.3 Vented batteries shall be so located that adjacent equipment is not rendered inoperative through corrosion by battery gases.
19.4.4 Starter batteries shall be located as close as practicable to the engine or engines served, to limit voltage drop in cables at the high currents required.
19.4.5 Alkaline batteries and lead acid batteries shall not be located in the same compartment or enclosure.
19.4.6 Vented batteries connected to a charging device with a power output of more than 2.4 kW (calculated from the maximum obtainable charging current and the nominal voltage of the battery) shall be installed in a room assigned to batteries only, or in a suitable locker on the open deck if a room is not available.
19.4.7 Vented batteries connected to a charging device with a power output between 0.2 kW and 2.4 kW (calculated as in subsection 19.4.6) may be installed in a battery room or in a locker on deck, or in a box located on deck or in the engine room or in a similar well ventilated compartment.
19.4.8 Vented batteries connected to a charging device with a power output of less than 0.2 kW (calculated as in subsection 19.4.6) may be installed open, if protected from above from falling objects, or in a battery box in any suitable space.
19.4.9 Only electrical cables and lighting necessary for operational activities shall be installed in battery compartmentswhere vented batteries are installed; such equipment shall be certifiied safe as Class 1 Zone 1 Group ll C or Class 1 Division 1 Group B as defined by the Canadian Electrical Code.
19.4.10 Batteries of the sealed type may be installed in spaces in which standard marine or industrial equipment is installed provided they are protected from mechanical damage and the ventilation requirements are in accordance with section 19.5.10
19.5 Battery Ventilation
19.5.1 All rooms, lockers and boxes for storage batteries shall be arranged, and ventilated to avoid accumulation of flammable gas; batteries arranged in two or more tiers, shall have not less than 5 cm space, front and back, of all shelves, for circulation of air; and each tier or shelf shall be separated by a distance of at least 21 cm measured from the top of the bottom accumulator to the bottom of the shelf or tier immediately over.
19.5.2 Natural ventilation may be provided for batteries if ducts can be run directly from the top of the room to the open air above, with no part of the duct inclined more than 45° from the vertical; if natural ventilation is impracticable, mechanical exhaust ventilation shall be provided with exhaust at the top of the room and adequate openings for an inlet provided near the floor of battery rooms or the bottom of lockers or boxes.
19.5.3 The quantity of air expelled from battery rooms containing vented type batteries, if expelled by mechanical ventilation, shall be at least equal to: Q = 110 x I x n
- where
- Q = quantity of expelled air in litres per hour;
- I = maximum charging current during gas formation, or 25% of the maximum obtainable charging current of the facility,which ever is the greater;
- n = number of cells in series.
19.5.4 Battery lockers shall be ventilated similarly to battery rooms by a duct led from the top of the locker to the open air by an exhaust ventilation duct, but in machinery spaces and similar well ventilated compartments the duct may terminate not less than l m above the top of the locker.
19.5.5 Deck boxes for the storage of batteries shall be provided with a duct from the top of the box, terminating at least 1.2 m above in a goose-neck, mushroom-head or the equivalent, to prevent entrance of water; the entire deck box including openings for ventilation shall be sufficiently weathertight to prevent entrance of spray or rain.
19.5.6 Systems for mechanical ventilation of battery rooms shall be independent of ventilation systems for other spaces.
19.5.7 Any fan motor associated with a duct used to remove the air from a battery room shall be placed external to the duct unless it is certified safe for use in atmospheres containing hydrogen.
19.5.8 Fans for battery spaces shall be so designed as to render sparking impossible in the event of the impeller tips touching the fan casing.
19.5.9 Mechanical ventilation for battery rooms, battery lockers and battery boxes shall be fitted with an alarm, at the main control station, which will indicate loss of ventilation.
19.5.10 The ventilation rates for those compartments where valve regulated (sealed batteries) are located may be be lowered to not less than 25% of the requirements of section 19.5.3; however where vented batteries are located in the same compart ment as sealed batteries the ventilation rate shall be inaccordance with Section 19.5.3.
19.5.11 Ventilation ducts for battery boxes and compatments shall be constructed of material that is resistant to the corrosive effects of battery gases.
19.6 Battery Charging Facilities
19.6.1 Charging facilities shall be provided and shall be such that without exceeding a safe charging rate a completely discharged battery can be charged to 80 percent of its capacity within a period of ten (10) hours.
19.6.2 For batteries which normally stand idle for long periods, trickle charging to neutralize internal losses shall be provided.
19.7 Protection
19.7.1 Protection against reversal of the charging current shall be provided.
19.7.2 For floating battery service, or for any other condition where the load is connected to the battery while it is on charge, the maximum battery voltage shall not exceed a safe value for any connected apparatus.
19.7.3 Suitable means, including an ammeter and a voltmeter shall be provided for controlling the recharging of each storage battery and to protect against accidental discharge of the battery into the charging circuit.
19.7.4 Rectifiers shall not be located in positions where they would be subjected to the gases vented from batteries.
19.7.5 Where a battery is charged by equipment containing rectifiers, provision shall be made to prevent overloading of the rectifiers due to loads occurring during charging such as those required for starting an engine.
19.7.6 The battery cables except those for engine starting, shall be protected by a switch and fuse(s) or circuit breaker in each conductor and located outside the battery compartment.
20. Heating and Cooking Appliances
20.1 Electric ranges, and other heating and cooking appliances shall comply with the relevant requirements of the Sections 2.7 or 2.8 or as modified and supplemented herein.
20.2 The heating elements of heating appliances shall be suitably guarded and protecting guards shall be strong enough to resist being forced against any current-carrying part.
20.3 Electric space heaters in cabins, lockers and similar enclosed spaces, shall be of the convector type.
20.4 Electric space heaters forming part of the ship’s equipment shall be fixed in position and shall be so constructed as to reduce the risk of fire to a minimum.
20.5 Electric space heaters shall not be constructed with an element so exposed that clothing, curtains or other similar material can be scorched or set on fire by heat from the element.
20.6 With the exception of single-phase cabin heaters directly controlled by thermostats, every heating and cooking appliance, whether portable or fixed, shall be controlled locally by a switch having an “off” position.
20.7 Each electric range, cooking appliance and individual heater or group of heaters within the same enclosed space shall have a temperature control device; temperature control devices rated to operate at line voltage shall have a current rating at least equal to the sum of the current ratings of the equipment they control; temperature control devices which can be turned automatically or manually to a marked “off” position and which either interrupt line current directly or control a contactor or similar device which interrupts line current shall open all conductors of the controlled heating circuit when in the “off” position; where a liquid to be heated is a fuel or other flammable product, temperature controls shall be installed to ensure that the liquid temperature does not exceed the minimum flash point of the liquid.
20.8 The operating voltage of thermostats for cabin heaters and for heaters mounted in ventilation trunks shall not exceed 250 volts.
20.9 Heaters in ventilating trunks and re-heat units shall be interlocked with the fan motor supplying air to the unit so that the contactor controlling the heater can only be energized when the fan is running; a certified overheat safety thermostat of the capillary tube type shall be provided and set to operate at a temperature not exceeding 110° C .
20.10 Appliances shall be so constructed and mounted that there will be no excessive heating of adjacent decks or bulkheads.
20.11 All electric cooking equipment, attachments and devices shall be of a rugged construction and so designed as to permit complete cleaning, maintenance and repair with ease; all servicing shall be possible from the front or top without moving the equipment.
20.12 Range, oven, broiler, fry kettle and griddle units shall be sectional; the design and construction of the equipment shall be such as to ensure strong, rigid, self-supporting units.
20.13 All component parts of cooking equipment shall be made of corrosion-resistant material, or, if steel, shall be adequately protected against corrosion.
20.14 Grab rails projecting out from the front on cooking equipment shall be provided for use by the crew in heavy seas.
20.15 Tank heaters utilizing electric elements shall be controlled by means of a temperature regulation device and shall also be provided with secondary protection which will open if the liquid attains a temperature exceeding 96° C for water and the manufacturer’s recommended temperature for liquids other than water.