WDAAA063260 g

°
°C Centigrade or degree Celsius. A temperature measure scale
used in the metric system. Freezing point of water is 0°C;
boiling point is 100°C.
To convert from Celsius to Fahrenheit use the following
formula:
9/5°C+32 = °F
°F Degree Fahrenheit. A temperature scale where the boiling
point of water is 212°F and freezing point is 32°F (standard
atmospheric pressure).
To convert from Fahrenheit to Celsius use the following
formula:
(°F-32)x 5/9 =°C
A
AC Short for Alternating Current.

Active power (P) The part of the generated power in an electrical network
which can be used at the consumer’s appliances (cf.
reactive power).

Actuator The part of a control system which performs the final

control action in a control process.

Alternator A synchronous AC generator.

Ambient Surrounding, normally used to describe outside

temperature.

Analogue A continuous physical variable, as opposed to numerical

values, or on/off signals. In this text it is often used to
describe an electric signal from a measuring instrument.

ASL Altitude above Sea Level.

Auxiliary system A subordinate system used to support a superior system.

Auxiliary transformer Local distribution transformer used for the local electrical
supply of the diesel power plant.

AVR Automatic Voltage Regulator.

B
Base load A continuous load in an electrical network.

BDC Bottom Dead Centre, is the bottom turning point of the

piston in the cyllinder.
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Brush A conducting element which maintains sliding electric

contact between a stationary and a moving element.

Busbar The metal (often copper) bar system which is the

distribution media for the 3-phase high voltage system in
the power plant.
C
C.C.C. Short for Cross-Current Compensation.

Capacitor A device capable of storing electric energy. It consists of

two conducting surfaces separated by insulating material.
It blocks the flow of direct current while allowing
alternating current to pass.

CCU Central Control Unit, or Cylinder Control Unit.

Charge air The intake air required for the combustion process in the
engine.

Charge air cooler A water cooled device to lower the temperature of the
charge air after the turbo chargers.

Circuit breaker A switching device for opening and closing an electric

circuit.

Clockwise rotating engine When looking at the engine from the driving end the shaft
rotates clockwise.

Conductor A wire or cable for carrying current.

Contactor A device for establishing and breaking an electric power

circuit.

Cos phi regulation Refers to the manner in which the load demand is
regulated on the external network. Phi is the phase angle
between current and power in an alternating current
network.

Counter-clockwise When looking at the engine from the driving end the shaft
rotating engine rotates counter-clockwise.

CPU Central Prosessing Unit.

Crankcase Crank shaft compartment of an engine.

Cranking Turning an engine by means of the starting system.

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Cranking speed The speed at which the engine must be rotated by the
starting system in order to commence firing.

Cross-current In parallel operation of generators, a system which permits

compensation the generators to share the reactive component of the
power in proportion to their ratings.

Crude oil Oil in its natural state of composition. "Crude" is classified

according to its physical properties: a. Paraffin Based, b.
Asphaltic Based, c. Mixed Based.

CT Short for Current Transformer. An AC current measuring

device.
D
DC Short for Direct Current.

DE Driving End. The end of the engine where the flywheel is

located.

Dead busbar A busbar system without power (see Busbar).

DGC Short for Diesel Generating set Controller.

Drift A gradual change in voltage output sometimes caused by

an increase in generator temperature or regulator lag.

Droop The difference, expressed as a percent, between the no-load

and full-load rotational speeds of a prime mover.

Duplex filter A doubled filter configuration enabling operation in one

while the other is serviced or stand-by.
E
Emulsion A mixture of water and oily material in which either very
small drops of water are suspended in oil or small drops of
oil are suspended in the water the whole being stabilised
by a third component (such as soap or glycol) called an
emulsifying agent.

ESD Emergency Shutdown.

Exciter A device for supplying excitation to generator fields. It may

be a rotating exciter, that is, a DC generator or an AC
generator with rectifiers, or it may be a static device using
tubes or solid-state components.

Exciter current The field current required to produce rated voltage at rated
load and frequency.
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Exciter voltage The voltage required to cause exciter current to flow

through a field winding.

External network The external electrical distribution network to which

consumers are connected.
F
FE Free End. The end opposite the driving end.

Feeder Switchgear section providing connection lines for an

electrical network.

Flash point The temperature to which an oil must be heated in order to

give sufficient vapor to form a flammable mixture with air
under the conditions of the test. The vapor will ignite but
will not support combustion.

Fuel injection The way in which the fuel is injected into the combustion
room (via a control valve).
G
Genset Engine generator set.

Governor Speed-regulating device for the engine.

Ground A connection, either intentional or accidental, between an

electric and the earth or some conducting body.

Grounded neutral The center point of a Y-connected, four-wire generator

which is intentionally connected to ground.
H
HMI Human Machine Interface.

Hot Key Short-cut push button.

HT High Temperature (cooling water circuit).

I
I.E.C. International Electrotechnical Commission.

I/O Input/Output.

I/P Current to pressure converter.

Idling An engine running unloaded.

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Indicator cocks Relief valves, one on each diesel engine cylinder head,
giving access to the cylinder combustion room.

ISO International Standards Organisation.

Isochronous Single speed: a term applied to governors that limit an

engine to one speed regardless of load.

Isochronous governor A governor that keeps the engine speed constant at all
loads.
J
Jacket water The cooling water circulating in the engines internal parts.

Journal The part of the crankshaft that turns in the main bearings.

k
kWe kW electric.

L
Live busbar Busbar with a power source connected (see Busbar).

Load sharing The way in which two or more alternators are run to ac-
commodate the load demands from the electrical network.

Local panels Electric power supply and control panel located close to the
relevant unit.

Low load operation Operation at 5 to 20 % load.

LT Low Temperature (cooling water circuit).

M
Maintenance charts Paper forms used to record periodic maintenance work.

MCC Motor Control Center.

MCR Maximum Continuous Rating.

N
NDE Non Driving End. The end of the engine where the flywheel
is not located. (see "Free End")

Neutral The common point of a Y-connected machine or a conductor

connected to that point.
O
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Oil A liquid hydrocarbon. (see "Crude Oil")

P
P&I-diagram Piping and Instrument (drawing or diagram).

Parallel operation More than one unit supplying power to the same network.

Paralleling The procedure of matching the synchronous speed of one

incoming generator in parallel with another and
connecting them to a common load.

PCB Printed Circuit Board.

Phase line A line in an electrical network having system voltage

potential.

PID Proportional, Integral, and Derivative control.

PLC Programmable Logic Controller.

Pour point The lowest temperature at which a fluid will pour or flow
under specified conditions.

Power factor The extent to which the voltage zero differs from the
current zero. (p.f = kW / kVA)

Preventive maintenance Maintenance performed on a regular time basis to prevent

down-time caused by worn out machinery.

PT Short for Potential Transformer. An AC voltage measuring

device.

PT-100 Designation for a temperature sensor which is formed by a

resistor with a positive temperature coefficient, and a resis-
tance of 100 ohms at 0°C.
R
Reactive power (Q) The part of the generated power in an electrical network
which cannot be used at the consumer’s appliances (cf.
active power).

Rectifier A device for changing alternating current into direct

current or unidirectional current.

Rpm Revolutions per minute.

S
SCS Station Control System.
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Set point A set value to which a control system acts to maintain the
controlled process value.

SG engine Spark ignited Gas engine.

Site conditions Local area conditions that may affect the operation of the
power plant, such as temperature, humidity, ASL, dust etc.

Static exciter Means of furnishing direct current to the generator field; it

does not have any rotating or otherwise moving elements.

Stator The portion of an electrical machine which contains the

stationary parts of the magnetic circuit and their windings.

Synchronization Refer to the way in which a power generating source is

connected to another at the exact point in time when they
both have the same frequency and period.
T
TDC Top Dead Centre, is the top turning point of the piston in
the cylinder.

Transducer Device for measuring physical values and converting them

into electrical values which can be transferred and utilised
by other electrical equipment.

Turbocharger A compressor device used to increase the pressure of the

charge air (combustion air) driven by the exhaust gases
from the engine it serves.

Turning device Turning gear, a mechanical device used to turn the

crankshaft of the engine during maintenance etc.
V
Viscosity The resistance of fluid to flow. A high viscosity fluid will
not flow as easily as a low viscosity fluid (Mud will not
move as easily as water).

Voltage droop The difference in voltage at no-load and full-load expressed

as a percent of the full-load value.

Voltage regulation The difference between maximum and minimum steady-

state voltage divided by the nominal voltage expressed as a
percent of the nominal voltage.

Voltage regulator A device which maintains the voltage output of a generator

near its nominal value regardless of load conditions.
W
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WECS Wärtsilä Engine Control System.

WISE Wärtsilä Information System Environment

WOIS Wärtsilä Operator'

s Interface System.

Working air Compressed air of low pressure (6 bar) used for pneumatic
tools, blow guns etc.

WOT Wärtsilä Operator'

s Terminal System

Y
Y-connection An interconnection of the phases of a three-phase system to
form a configuration resembling the letter Y. A fourth
neutral wire can be connected to the centerpoint.