Knocking this class out at the end of the month…just curious to hear some feedback about it? The school I am doing it at just recently got their course approved, so I’m just looking for a general report of what to expect from anyone that has done it at any school. Thanks.
My first took the Leadership class last month at Star. He got his hands on the MEECE book and brought it back for us to look at. Almost 2 inches thick and endless pages of death by PowerPoint. My fucking eyes glazed over just thumbing through it. I ain’t looking forward to this class.
Leadership and managerial skills was a breeze. I have a feeling MEECE may be tough. Hoping for a good and patient instructor.
Took it at MITAGS. Their first offering of it. Based on that will keep my general opinions to myself as to quality. As to content it seems the schools are working off the standard outline of items to be included and this resulted in an extensive scope with little depth. Then again I ask myself who is this course for. I know why I took it, so I can get my STCW credential extended out to the full duration of my national license. For a chief engineer or any engineer that has been at this for a while it is like a huge review session of everything you learned (or should have learned)in the last 40 years. So depending on your own specific background you will find it a little redundant or if you are new to the game or have limited electrical/controls knowledge you may find it whizzing past and/or not have enough depth or hands on to really ‘teach’ you something. Afraid it is another IMO good intention to raise the quality of the worlds merchant mariner without much chance of succeeding. Schools will make money, you’ll lose a week of your off time and the screw will keep turning. Having yielded to my cynical nature for a moment there, as long as you are sitting there pay attention. There are always a few things you may not have known. I found that with a bunch of chiefs in my group it was a good opportunity to share technical insights as well as sea stories. The ‘chief’s seminar’ aspect of it was worth the admission price since our company doesn’t ever do stuff like that. Also (i’ve said it before here) get a copy of Charlie Hubert’s book, it is what you need to have as basic reference. Also (at least in my case) take a look on you tube for old navy training films, because that was one source for material used in the class and apparently among the best available. I gotta say sure beats power points.
I am writing MEECE for one of the schools ashore, right here in real time. I am keen to the comment that KPChief made about the course he took being “a huge review session”. I [I]am[/I] writing this course per the IMO outline, that is for sure, has to be done to meet NMC/USCG standards for approval. I am trying to write this course in relevant, practical context. My assumption is that each of you that might come to my MEECE class, just like when you come to my ERM course, is that each of you is the Subject Matter Expert. Having said that, we drive on. You don’t need a review of basic electrical theory you need functional application of electrical theory. For instance, my outline has “design features and system configuration of operational control equipment for electrical prime movers”. What I am using to teach this in real dimension is azimuth thrusters, L-Drives, Z-Drives and Azipods. There’s no better way to teach variable frequency drive than their use in the speed control of electric propulsion motors. I have Hubert’s book right here and about eight others. I am going to recommend to you the best reference books out there right now on Electrical Power: author Mukund Patel, a former USMMA professor. “Shipboard Electrical Power Systems” published 2012 and "Shipboard Propulsion, Power Electronics and Ocean Energy " published 2013. Both are CRC Press books. Not cheap. Covers basics but builds solid blocks of knowledge and applies them to real problems and offers practical solutions. If this hawsepiper can understand it, well, I say good luck to you , too.
Being a “huge review session” is not necessarily a bad thing. Just make it a good, worthwhile review!
[QUOTE=Thomas Randall;166719]There’s no better way to teach variable frequency drive than their use in the speed control of electric propulsion motors.[/QUOTE]
There’s no better way to “teach” VFD’s than to explain to me the components that make one up. At least at the major component level. A rectifier or converter section, a DC bus link and a inverter section. We all should know why we want variable frequency output already and can imagine the applications including propulsion yes. Maybe start with the early DC drives (thyrigs / SCR drives) (the first half of of a VFD).
I certainly do understand you have to cover all the items on the required list or you won’t get the course approved. I assumed our course was presented in the order of the required content outline (maybe I assume wrongly). For me it seemed scattered and did not build on itself. You might want to look if you are including all the requirements all right but just blindly ordering it as per the given outline? If so you may want to consider stepping back and looking at it. I wonder if you really think the sequence of the outline is the best way to deliver/present the material?
So here’s my free advice:
Start at the beginning. The first section should be on power generation / sources. so you start with generator principles, design features, typical arrangements. Include batteries. Deal with the high voltage designations and rules here.
Move on to distribution. Switchboards, protective devices, transformers, other switchgear, fuses etc.
Now get to consumers. Motors, etc.
Then start with control circuits for motors. Include control devices: breakers, MCP’s, contactors, relays of all types, etc.
Move on to plant wide controls. Start with big picture then get to sensors, signal conditioning, processing, calibration, testing, trouble shooting. If you still have to cover capacitors and inductors slide it in this section.
Have hydraulics and pneumatics at the end.
I bet it is possible to organize the course in a more logical flow and cross reference it to the required contents and still get USCG approval. You know what they say about free advice though.
Thanks for the book references. Always more room in the library.
Not sure about meece but after taking erm at pmi/mitags, I won’t be going to that school again.
[QUOTE=KPChief;166753]Being a “huge review session” is not necessarily a bad thing. Just make it a good, worthwhile review!
There’s no better way to “teach” VFD’s than to explain to me the components that make one up. At least at the major component level. A rectifier or converter section, a DC bus link and a inverter section. We all should know why we want variable frequency output already and can imagine the applications including propulsion yes. Maybe start with the early DC drives (thyrigs / SCR drives) (the first half of of a VFD).
I certainly do understand you have to cover all the items on the required list or you won’t get the course approved. I assumed our course was presented in the order of the required content outline (maybe I assume wrongly). For me it seemed scattered and did not build on itself. You might want to look if you are including all the requirements all right but just blindly ordering it as per the given outline? If so you may want to consider stepping back and looking at it. I wonder if you really think the sequence of the outline is the best way to deliver/present the material?
So here’s my free advice:
Start at the beginning. The first section should be on power generation / sources. so you start with generator principles, design features, typical arrangements. Include batteries. Deal with the high voltage designations and rules here.
Move on to distribution. Switchboards, protective devices, transformers, other switchgear, fuses etc.
Now get to consumers. Motors, etc.
Then start with control circuits for motors. Include control devices: breakers, MCP’s, contactors, relays of all types, etc.
Move on to plant wide controls. Start with big picture then get to sensors, signal conditioning, processing, calibration, testing, trouble shooting. If you still have to cover capacitors and inductors slide it in this section.
Have hydraulics and pneumatics at the end.
I bet it is possible to organize the course in a more logical flow and cross reference it to the required contents and still get USCG approval. You know what they say about free advice though.
Thanks for the book references. Always more room in the library.[/QUOTE]
Free advice welcome, Chief. I agree, generate power, distribute power, use power. Troubleshooting basics, then practical application of motor control circuits on hydraulics and pneumatics with t-shooting of the same is the plan I am sticking to and what a huge task this is. Your help appreciated.
[QUOTE=Fraqrat;166411]My first took the Leadership class last month at Star. He got his hands on the MEECE book and brought it back for us to look at. Almost 2 inches thick and endless pages of death by PowerPoint. My fucking eyes glazed over just thumbing through it. I ain’t looking forward to this class.[/QUOTE]
Death by power point turned out to be a nice way of putting it. Talk about a shitload of information compressed into five days…well really four because you test on the fifth. Out of all the classes I’ve done for endorsements and such, this one was the toughest. At first I thought the problem was entirely me and my shortcomings, but most of the rest of my class were career chiefs and some academy folk and they all occasionally had moments of wtf?
I did it at TRL, which is a great school all around. This was only their second offering of the course so I’m sure over time it may get a little more user friendly.
Good afternoon,
I am an engineering Instructor at Mid-Atlantic Maritime Academy and we also teach MEECE.
Afternoon,
Inadvertently hit send prematurely on the first post. I am an engineering instructor at Mid-Atlantic Maritime Academy in Norfolk, VA and we also teach MEECE. Unfortunately, because we have to satisfy the NMC requirements and follow the IMO Model course guidelines it can be a refresher for the Unlimited Tonnage/Horsepower folks but the OSV and Tug community can find it to be challenging. There is a lot of good material and as part of the course the student gets to keep the course book; “Practical Marine Electrical Knowledge - 3rd Edition”. It’s a handy reference for the office. There are a fair number of Power Points but we are constantly refining that number with other material to deliver an optimum product.
I noticed comments about VFD’s, we are standing up a PLC Course that will include VFD’s, Transmitters, Transducers and measuring devices. The student will learn how to troubleshoot the entire system, program their PLC & VFD, calibrate their measuring devices and ensure the system functions correctly.
Hope this helps.
Be well and sail safe!