Alma Doepel: Power Management System
A custom-built power management panel for the restoration of one of Australia’s oldest surviving tall ships, synchronising four independent power sources into a single failsafe system.
Industry
Marine
Duration
3 Weeks
Project Value
$115,000
Services
Power Management, PLC Automation, HMI Control
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Download this case study as a PDF to keep or share.Four Power Sources, No Way to Synchronise Them
The Alma Doepel is one of Australia’s oldest surviving tall ships, a 120-year-old three-masted topsail schooner currently undergoing full restoration in Melbourne’s Docklands. As the last vessel of her kind, the stakes of her restoration are enormous. A critical electrical problem emerged when four independent power sources could not be synchronised. No single source could supply the entire vessel, equipment had been procured without specialist consultation, and a generator failure would leave critical sections of the ship without power and no safe fallback.
A Fully Interlocked, Monitored Power System
Developed full electrical schematics and obtained formal approval prior to any construction
Engineered and built a purpose-built power management panel integrating PLC automation and HMI touchscreen control across all four sources: two generators, inverter, and shore power
Programmed the HMI to display real-time voltage and current across all sources, giving crew immediate visibility of the vessel’s complete power status
Interlocked all four sources to their distribution boards via 4-pole contactors, preventing simultaneous energisation and backfeed
Implemented dual-layer safety architecture using hardwired interlocks and PLC logic to eliminate fault conditions at the source
Fully built, programmed, and commissioned the panel in our purpose-built workshop before mobilising to site and commissioning on board on time
Restoration-Ready Power, Fully Managed
The Alma Doepel now has a fully managed, monitored, and failsafe power distribution system supporting the safe continuation of her restoration. Crew have real-time visibility, automatic fault protection, and safe switching between inputs on demand. A technically complex problem, solved from design to delivery by a single contractor, helping keep this irreplaceable piece of Australian maritime heritage on track.
Project Facts
Full Case Study
Get the complete write-up, including project scope and outcomes, as a one-page PDF.
Download PDFA Safer, Fully Monitored Power System
The completed panel gives crew real-time visibility and automatic protection across every power source on board.
Power sources fully interlocked into a single failsafe system
HMI voltage and current monitoring across all sources
Hardwired and PLC safety architecture
Capabilities Behind This Project
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