Unit – 6, Induced Magnetism In Ship and Magnetic Compass

Correction
The Method of Determination And Compensation of The
Effects of Ship’s magnetic Field On The Magnetic Compass:
Once the compass is installed on board it should be swung to
determine the error and how it will be corrected. The swing
ing of the compass must be done against known heading, so
that the precise error can be determined.
-A deviation table to be created for the various headings and
the compass corrected to reduce the overall deviation. This
correction is done by adjusting the effect of additional lumps
or magnets or iron placed close to the card.
-Compass adjusting is done by a compass adjuster . Objective
is to reduce and record the error so that when navigating this
correction can be applied to the heading.
 Method Of Obtaining a Table Of Deviation : At sea the table
of deviation is obtained by swinging the ship either side (P &
S)through 360 deg at a constant rate of turning. Gyro
compass headings are noted after every 10 deg of change.
Compass error, variation and deviation are worked out .
Deviation is caused by iron, magnets and magnetic fields
(from electronic equipment), all of which influence the Earth's
magnetic field around the ship.
Procedure When Swinging Ship :
1- Ship should be in sea going condition.
2- Ship should be upright and having normal trim.
3- Compass to be tested before bringing on board ship.
4- Lubber line aligned with ship’s fore and aft line.
5- Azimuth mirror should be accurate.
6- There should not be any metallic object close by.
7- No magnetic material near by.
8- There should not be any vessel by 3-5 cable (0.5 nm).
9- Flinders bars are to be tested and adjusted.
10-The soft iron spheres are to be adjusted by slacking at the
mounting.
• Swinging the compass, or swinging the ship (as the operation
is sometimes more accurately called as the ship swings
around the compass card which, ideally, remains pointing
north), involves taking the vessel to a suitable location in open
water with plenty of room for maneuvering. With the vessel
steady on each of the eight primary compass points, existing
compass headings or bearings are compared with what we
know the actual magnetic headings or bearings should be, the
difference being the deviation.
• During the process, any magnetic fields, created by the ship’s
structure, equipment, etc, which cause the compass to
deviate are reduced or, if possible, eliminated, by creating
equal but opposite magnetic fields using compensating
correctors. These are placed inside the compass binnacle or
adjacent to the compass:
--Magnets are aligned fore and aft and athwart ships
to create horizontal magnetic fields to
compensate for the permanent horizontal
components of the ship’s magnetism.
– Soft iron correcting spheres or plates and the
Flinders bar compensate for the induced
magnetism caused by the effect the earth’s
magnetic field has on the ship’s magnetism.
– Heeling error magnets compensate for the vertical
component of the ship’s magnetism.
• The timing and logistics of this operation are often governed
by the tide, the weather and other vessels in the vicinity. The
time it takes to swing and adjust the compass is also
influenced by the condition and accessibility of the compass
and correctors, the maneuverability of the vessel, the skill of
the helmsman and the complexity of, and reasons for, the
deviating magnetic fields involved.
• On successful completion of compass swing, a table recording
any remaining residual deviation and a statement as to the
good working order of the compass will be issued. A current
deviation card / certificate of adjustment is a legal
requirement on all sea going commercial vessels.
• Deviation can be determined by a number of methods: the
sun’s azimuth or known bearings of distant objects, such as a
mountain peak or lighthouse are considered most accurate. In
certain circumstances, such as poor visibility, calibration is
carried out by making comparisons with other navigation
instruments, such as a gyro or GPS compass.
• Using other navigation instruments to find deviation is only
satisfactory if the absolute accuracy of these instruments has
first been verified, or any known error is factored into the
calculations. Most professionals prefer something tangible,
such as a fixed landmark, with a known position and bearing
to work with.
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Heeling Error : Heeling error is the difference in deviation
between, when vessel is upright and when heeled and
heading on the same course and same side.
Deviation when upright - 7 deg E
Deviation when heeled - 5 deg E
Heeling Error - 2 deg E
Cause Of Heeling Error : When a ship heels, the compass
being gimballed remains horizontal. A magnetic field acting
vertically at the compass position will cause no deviation
when ship is upright. But when the ship heels this field acts at
an oblique angle. The horizontal components of this oblique
field will cause a deviation called heeling error.
Effects Of Heeling :
1-Effect on ship’s head
2-Effect on Latitude
Heeling Error Correction : Correction is achieved by means of
permanent magnets set vertically in HE bucket, which can be
raised or lowered in the binnacle, under the compass card.
The amount of correction may be varied by increasing /
decreasing the number of magnets or by lowering / raising
the HE bucket.
Care and Maintenance of Liquid Compass :
1- Keep magnet compass away from computers and other
electrical devices.
2- Keep magnetic compass away from heaters and hot places
heat can damage inner system.
3- Ensure it does not make contact with any communication
system / device.
4- Avoid dropping /bumping the compass on hard surfaces.
5- There should not be a air bubble in side the bowl.
6- Ensure cover is placed during rough / bad weather.
7- Ensure gymble is free and moving properly during rolling
and pitching.
8-Any repair should only be made by a compass manufacturer
or other competent person using proper test facilities.
9- A certificate is to be issued by the repairer, as a proof for
the repair carried out to the master.
Cause Sitting of Compasses With Reference to The Proximity
Of Magnetic Material & Electrical Appliances: The needle of
a compass is itself a magnet, and thus the north pole of the
magnet always points north, except when it is near a strong
magnet. When you take the compass away from the bar
magnet, it again points north. So, we can conclude that
the north end of a compass is attracted to the south end of a
magnet.
The compass on ships is often mounted in a binnacle which is
a stand or housing. They are located in a place on the ship to
allow the ship's navigator to determine position and course.
They may be located near the helm so that the sailor steering
the ship can maintain the correct course.
Induced magnetism and its effects on the compass: Induced
magnetism varies with the strength of the surrounding field,
the mass of metal, and the alignment of the metal in the field.
Since the intensity of the earth’s magnetic field varies over
the earth’s surface, the induced magnetism in a ship will vary
with latitude, heading, and heel of the ship.
With the ship on an even keel, the resultant vertical induced
magnetism, if not directed through the compass itself, will
create deviations that plot as a semicircular deviation curve.
This is true because the vertical induction changes magnitude
and polarity only with magnetic latitude and heel and not
with the heading of the ship. Therefore, as long as the ship is
in the same magnetic latitude, its vertical induced pole
swinging about the compass will produce the same effect on
the compass as a permanent pole swinging about the
compass. Figure 6 below illustrates the vertical induced poles
in the structures of a ship.
Care & Maintenance Of Liquid Magnetic Compass: The
compass card should be clear to read, centered, free of
friction and able to rotate properly. To check that the card is
free of friction, a magnet can be brought up to the bowl so
that the card is deflected by 10 degrees. Once the magnet is
removed, the card should promptly return to its original
heading.
1-The compass bowl must be topped up fully with liquid
(glycol and distilled water solution) so that no air gaps or
bubbles form. Any bubble greater than 20mm should be
rectified.
2-The compass card should be clear to read, centred, free of
friction and able to rotate properly. To check that the card is
free of friction, a magnet can be brought up to the bowl so
that the card is deflected by 10 degrees. Once the magnet is
removed, the card should promptly return to its original
heading.
3-The binnacle bolts should be securely mounted.
4-The fore/aft and port/starboard correctors are in the correct
position, as recorded by the previous compass adjustment.
5-The azimuth ring should fit correctly and be free to move
through a full rotation.
6-The azimuth mirror should be in the correct place and rotate
correctly. Checking the alignment takes the azimuth of a
celestial body in both the arrow-up and arrow-down positions.
If there is a difference, the mirror is not aligned with its plane.
7-The light should work correctly and should not cause a
deflection in the compass card when the supply current is
switched on.
8-The lubber line should be correctly centred. To check this
out, take an azimuth off the forward mast headlight.
9-It should be easy to view the magnetic compass from the
steering position and make a precise reading.
10-Finally, the Master should ensure that the compass
remains reliable by regularly checking the compass error
book. This stops massive changes in deviation from going
unnoticed.