Author Topic: School of the Boat 5 Mar 13 (DC POWER)  (Read 37985 times)

Offline Darrin

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Re: School of the Boat 5 Mar 13 (DC POWER)
« Reply #30 on: March 25, 2013, 04:31:24 PM »
Mark,

It took me a minute and made my head hurt finding him, he used to go by AVGWARHAWK

Haven't seen or heard from him in a while now and I don't have a phone number for him anymore either, maybe Chief Mike does and he goes by emeacho here and on the Torsk BBS

Darrin

Offline Darrin

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Re: School of the Boat 5 Mar 13 (DC POWER)
« Reply #31 on: March 25, 2013, 04:35:33 PM »
Mark,

Give me a call when you get a chance

Darrin

Offline Mark Sarsfield

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Re: School of the Boat 5 Mar 13 (DC POWER)
« Reply #32 on: March 25, 2013, 04:36:01 PM »
That's right.  Where was he based out of?  Did he used to be a Torsk volunteer?

EDIT:  I will try to call tonight.
« Last Edit: March 25, 2013, 04:39:51 PM by Mark Sarsfield »

Regards,
Mark Sarsfield
USS Batfish reenactor



"If you have one bucket that can hold 5 gallons and one bucket that can hold 2 gallons, how many buckets do you have?" - IQ test from Idiocracy

Offline Darrin

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Re: School of the Boat 5 Mar 13 (DC POWER)
« Reply #33 on: March 25, 2013, 04:41:10 PM »
he was a Torsk volunteer and I don't remember where he lived at anymore.. I have lost contact with a lot of people over the years to include the crew of the Torsk (not their fault, that one is ALL mine) Does Corey still Volunteer onboard Batfish?

Offline Mark Sarsfield

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Re: School of the Boat 5 Mar 13 (DC POWER)
« Reply #34 on: March 25, 2013, 04:43:23 PM »
Yes.  Correy is still our BLHA Skipper and he is also a park manager at nearby Ft. Gibson - early 18th century fort.  He doesn't get on here too often, because OHS has him running crazy all over the state.

Regards,
Mark Sarsfield
USS Batfish reenactor



"If you have one bucket that can hold 5 gallons and one bucket that can hold 2 gallons, how many buckets do you have?" - IQ test from Idiocracy

Offline Darrin

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Re: School of the Boat 5 Mar 13 (DC POWER)
« Reply #35 on: March 25, 2013, 04:47:33 PM »
he is a good guy and really wanted to get involved when you all loaded weapons a few years ago to include wanting to help tear the weapon down to get it onboard if needed.. He maybe able to help you out with getting some of the stuff you need for digging the stern planes out and getting some of the ballast stone and other things. We used our resources at Ft Eustis to the max and it only took knowing the right people to ask and it maybe helpfull to ask Correy if he and his group can help you with some of the work that is about to take place oboard and around the boat.

Offline Mark Sarsfield

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Re: School of the Boat 5 Mar 13 (DC POWER)
« Reply #36 on: March 26, 2013, 08:50:16 AM »
I'm part of Correy's reenacting group (I'm the engineering officer).  Jim actually has access to heavy machinery.  So, that isn't an issue.  I found a stone company not too far from the Batfish.  I'll get Rick the info to see if they'll make him a deal-deal.  Maybe the guy's a Republican.  Business is business.  Right?   ;)

Btw, I wasn't able to call you last night.  So, I'll call you on Wednesday night, if that works for you.

Regards,
Mark Sarsfield
USS Batfish reenactor



"If you have one bucket that can hold 5 gallons and one bucket that can hold 2 gallons, how many buckets do you have?" - IQ test from Idiocracy

Offline Darrin

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Re: School of the Boat 5 Mar 13 (DC POWER)
« Reply #37 on: March 27, 2013, 12:16:56 AM »
While doing some minor research regarding refloating the USS Stewart, I stumbled across a website that I have not been to in years and it has a treasure trove of information regarding bringing a WWII submarine back to life with new power after Hurricane Ike (and a few volunteers and ahem the Naval Reserves over the years)

For the Batfish crew enjoy this piece because it is still online and a few of those that did the work post from time to time on www.submarinesailor.com and on Rontini's BBS also

http://www.deepdomain.net/phpBB_cav/viewtopic.php?t=410

Darrin

Offline Mark Sarsfield

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Re: School of the Boat 5 Mar 13 (DC POWER)
« Reply #38 on: March 27, 2013, 08:13:30 AM »
I haven't been to either of those sites in years.  Thanks for reminding me.

Regards,
Mark Sarsfield
USS Batfish reenactor



"If you have one bucket that can hold 5 gallons and one bucket that can hold 2 gallons, how many buckets do you have?" - IQ test from Idiocracy

Offline kf4qic

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Re: School of the Boat 5 Mar 13 (DC POWER)
« Reply #39 on: May 05, 2013, 11:58:36 PM »
I haven't tried operating them on DC power yet but the new LED light bulbs seem to work OK, draws less power, runs cooler and has no filament to break.  Right now they are way too expensive ($13.00 each) to use in large numbers unless they are drastically reduced in price or donated.   I currently use two of them in a ceiling fan and so far so good.

I haven't posted on the forum for a long time but I have an idea that could be used to cool the FM engines on all of the subs that are either in the water or on land.  The idea involves using radiators from  big trucks , existing piping in the sub, and an electrically powered fan pulling air through the radiators.  This idea would only be feasible if there is enough room under the wood deck of the sub, cost of materials, and permission of the Navy.


73's ((Best Regards) to all

KF4QIC

Offline pekelney

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Re: School of the Boat 5 Mar 13 (DC POWER)
« Reply #40 on: November 04, 2013, 11:20:17 PM »
1- The status of Pampanito's galley is at:
http://www.maritime.org/pres/potrack/index.htm
We occasionally operate most of the equipment in the galley.  For each piece of equipment we clean and inspect.  We then check it with a Megger (a megohm meter that measures the quality insulation.) 

For the oven hotplates we found that the connections on the back of the hotplates were full of grease, then the porcelain insulators on a couple of the connections were cracked.  We covered them with high temperature tape.  After we started them, we found that the thermostat on one oven just needed cleaning and re-assembly.  We replaced its knob with one we got from Susuin Bay Reserve fleet.  The other thermostat was rebuilt.  FYI, we used Carbon Off to clean the heavy black off.  This is a lot like paint stripper and requires all the same safety treatment, but it works.  The grease traps were cleaned.

Pampanito's original hot water heater was missing when we got the boat.  We found a replacement on USS Sailfish.  It was the same size and brand.  Unfortunately it had bad heating elements that we had to get custom built replacements.  The DC controller had been cannibalized and a modern contactor installed in it.  So we use a non-historic 110 VAC control circuit to control a relay that turns the 250 VDC heating circuit.  We chose old style (1950s) controllers that are very close in style to the original.

The A120 mixer is a 120 VAC model from Susuin.  We have serviced it and have run it from 120 VAC a couple of times but do not use it regularly.

The ice cream freezer runs off of 250 VDC and has been fully restored.  We have made ice cream for two vet reunions.

The Navy is mostly concerned with health and safety.  We basically operate the equipment infrequently and not for commercial purposes.

The main ventilation blowers work.  One of them had a controller problem last time we used it and needs some repair.

2- Pampanito's power was restored to original 250 VDC, 120 VDC, 120 VAC and 12 VAC ca. 1996.  It was a big project lead by Len Vaden.

We have a 100 amp 480 VAC three phase shore power that goes through a removed salvage valve in the head and then down into after battery.  In after battery we have transformers, DC rectifiers, etc.  The rectifiers supply the normal 250 VDC and 120 VDC battery taps.  We have the buss tie closed so the boat thinks it is getting all its DC power from fwd battery. 

To get 120 VAC from after battery to maneuvering where our DC-AC motor generators and their distribution panel is located, we lifted three of the massive wires that form one lead of the DC power in both after battery and the entrance to the cubicle.  These supply the AC distribution panel.  So the boat thinks that two of the MG sets are running.  We have not restored the other two, but it would be a fun project.

We supply the 250 VDC emergency lighting circuit with a computer style UPS and a small rectifier.  A jumper crosses the port/starboard supply that originally had half the lights on fwd battery and half on aft battery. The handles are removed from the switches so they are all on.  The benefit is that we have four batteries that get replaced after 7 or 8 years, there is also light pretty much everywhere, and there are no ugly modern emergency lights.

The 120 VDC lighting circuit is on DC.  Interestingly, all the CFL and LED light bulbs we have tried have worked fine on DC.  The DC fluorescent light ballasts in the crew's mess and wardroom were long gone.  We found modern ballasts that work with 120 VDC.

On a normal day all of the 250 VDC switched disconnects are open at the aux switchboard.  We only close them when we want to run a particular piece of 250 VDC gear.  This minimizes the hazard to the public and corrosion from small leakage.  The 120 VDC lighting circuit is always on as is the 120 VAC circuit.  Fuses are removed from any equipment/circuits that have not been restored or is dangerous.  We have locks on all the switched disconnects that can be operated.  It has been a really good system.

3- I think others have answered the startup issues.  The engines are started with compressed air.  Right now we have shoreside compressors that feed the original shore supply fitting.  We used to have #1 HP air compressor working, but it now in pieces with the crew slowly working on restoring it. 

A boat needs either the aux or enough battery to excite a main engine generation to bootstrap.

rich

Offline pekelney

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Re: School of the Boat 5 Mar 13 (DC POWER)
« Reply #41 on: November 04, 2013, 11:29:01 PM »
FYI, a list of equipment operated during the museum period on Pampanito is at:
http://www.maritime.org/pres/restoper.htm
This has not been updated in a while, not all of this probably works now, but at least we know these were complete at the time we operated them.  Some are laid up because they are too resource intensive to keep working.  For example the HP air compressor is down for repair.  HP air is really hard to keep the tanks hydro tested, relief valves tested, etc.   Because of this, after we get the HP air compressor working again we will probably not run it very much.

We just added a non-historic hydraulic pump so we can operate hydraulics without the HP air needed for the accumulator.  See:
http://www.maritime.org/pres/hydr/index.htm

rich

Offline Darrin

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Re: School of the Boat 5 Mar 13 (DC POWER)
« Reply #42 on: November 07, 2013, 01:49:25 PM »
Thank you Rich for the updates, I am sure this will help all of the museum boats out that are working hard on restoring their boats.

Darrin