Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and
Technology
College of Engineering and Technology
School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Bsc. Electrical and Electronics Engineering
Attachment Report for May to August 2024 at Inland Container Depot-
Kenya Posts Authority Nairobi
Compiled by Raphael Muthenya Muli ENE211-0033/2020
1
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I hereby express utmost sincere gratitude to the prestigious organization that is the Kenya Ports
Authority for affording me an opportunity to work as an attachee for them from 6th May to 6th
August 2024. It has been without a doubt a very educative and valuable experience that I will
hold dear. Many thanks especially to the HR department for enrolling me and the electrical team
for always being ready to teach and impart many invaluable skills. Our chief supervisor, Mr.
Wycliffe Lupao, in particular, and other supervisors including Mrs. Caroline Atieno and Mr.
Collins Bechende have been of immense help. I also thank my family for their unwavering
support be it financial or emotional.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Industrial attachment is an important aspect in learning in Electrical and Electronics Engineering
whereby students go to the field for a period of 3 months. This is to mentor the student and
prepare them adequately for full realization of field details and requirements after completion of
their studies. The report gives an overview of attachment I did from May to August 2024 at the
Kenya Ports Authority-Nairobi. The main purpose of this report is to reflect on what I have
learnt over the three months I was at the company as an attaché. The report also gives a brief
history of the company. It then shows the organization profile.
The report further explains the range of services offered at the company, the relevant
departments attached and available and the duration of the attachment. The report also gives the
activities undertaken and the learnt knowledge and skills at the Kenya Porta Authority and the
in-depth observations. The report also brings a clear view of the correlation between the
theoretical work learnt at the class and the field work.
The attachment period has been a very educative period with lots of experience because the
employees of the company have been the best as far as teamwork is concerned and have
tirelessly dedicated most of their time to get me through the day-to-day activities of the
company.
The platform of academic experience presented by the attachment experience was so significant
as a basis or real exposition to the expectations of the cause.
Table of Contents
DECLARATION.............................................................................................................................ii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT..............................................................................................................iii
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY............................................................................................................iv
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS........................................................................................................vi
LIST OF FIGURES.......................................................................................................................vii
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION..............................................................................................1
1.5 THE STRUCTURAL ORGANISATION CHART OF THE COMPANY...............................3
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW..................................................................................4
1.1 THE ELECTRICAL MACHINES AND THEIR WORKING PRINCIPLES.......................4
CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY........................................................................................9
3.1 THE SITE TOOLS.................................................................................................................9
3.2 THE YARD EQUIPMENT.....................................................................................................13
The Rubber Tired Gantry Crane.................................................................................................13
CHAPTER FOUR: REPORT ON ACTIVITIES..........................................................................20
CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATION................................................21
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
KPA-Kenya Ports Authority
RMG-Rail-Mounted Gantry Crane
RTG-Rubber Tired Gantry crane
ICT-Information and Communication Technology
PVC-Polyvinyl chloride
DC-Direct Current
AC-Alternating Current
V-Voltage
E-Room-Electrical room
MCB-Miniature Circuit Breaker
HL-High Light
UPS-Uninterruptible Power Supply
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Historical background
The Kenya Ports Authority as an institution was first established in January 1978 under an
act of parliament. The KPA was mandated to manage and operate the port of Mombasa and
all the scheduled seaports along Kenya’s coastline that include Lamu, Malindi, Kilifi,
Mtwapa, Kiunga, Vanga and Shimoni. For years Mombasa had been a city of merchant
dating back to the Vasco Da Gama [1].
Mombasa old port was used for trade between the East Coast of Africa and the far East.
As cargo volumes continued to grow at the Mombasa port it became apparent that there was
high usage of road haulage compared to train for up-country bound cargo and beyond the
borders. This is because the railway line was slow and old.
So as to promote the usage of rail and bring the cargo closer to customers and to the heart of
the country, the Inland Container Deport-Nairobi was established by in 1984 and
operated by the Kenya Ports Authority [2]. The Inland Container Deport Nairobi owned
and operated by Kenya Ports Authority and linked by rail with Mombasa port provides
shippers with dry port facilities in the commercial heart of the country.
The spacious yard of 29 hectares located in Embakasi off Mombasa Road enables shippers to
import and export.
The Kenya ports Authority Headquarters are situated at Mombasa where there is the main
port. There also exist other ports that is the Kisumu port and the dry port of Naivasha that are
managed by the Kenya Ports Authority.
1.2 Objectives
The main objective of the KPA-Inland Container Deport Nairobi is to bring port services
closer to the customers in the hinterland through special railtainer services. The goal is to
turn around within 30 minutes and wagon turnaround 2 hrs.30mins which is the ISO
objective of the Inland Container Deport.
Other objectives include; Improving customer satisfaction, Improving the port services,
improving labour productivity, sustaining business growth and enhancing risk management
and environmental sustainability.
1.3 Services offered
The company offers a wide range of services that include;
Handling both containerized and loose cargo, stripping and stuffing of containers,
consolidating or storage of full or lose export cargo, storage and handling of empty
containers, hire of labour and equipment.
The company also undertakes weighing of containers, cargo documentations, leasing of yard
to shipping lines and other interested parties for storage of empty containers.
1.4 Vision, mission and core values
VISION
World class ports of choice.
MISSION
To provide efficient and competitive port services to facilitate global trade.
CORE VALUES
The core values include integrity, care, teamwork, innovation and customer focus.
1.5 Structural organisation chart
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 THE ELECTRICAL MACHINES AND THEIR WORKING PRINCIPLES
2.1.1 THE MOTOR
A Motor is an electrical device that converts electrical energy to mechanical energy. History
was made when Thomas Davenport of Vermont invented the first official battery-powered
electric motor in 1834.This was the first electric motor that had enough power to perform a
task and his invention was used to power a small-scale printing press [3]. In 1886 William
Sturgeon invented the first practical DC motor that could run at constant speed under variable
weight [4]. Scientists and engineers continued to develop various types of motors with an
objective of making them suitable for commercial setting. In 1888, Nikola Tesla invented an
AC Induction motor and the AC motor was modified to suit automotive applications. In 1891
General Electric started developed three-phase induction motors.
The AC and DC motors are now widely. The AC motors are used in power drives, air
conditioners compressors, irrigation pumps and hydraulic. The DC motors are used in steel
mill rolling and paper machines.
Figure 1. THE MOTOR
2.1.2 THE GENERATOR
A generator is an electrical device that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy. The
modern generator evolved from the works of Michael Faraday and Joseph Henry in the
1830s.Michael faraday invented the electromagnetic induction. Based on this Faraday also
built the first electromagnetic generator-the faraday disk.[5]
The word of Faraday’s law spread and in 1832, Frenchman Hippolyte Pixxi built the first
dynamo generator. The model of the generator created pulses of electricity with no current.
By accident, he created the first alternator.[6] While the dynamo was the first electrical
generator capable of delivering power for industries, for the next 30 years the battery
continued to be the most powerful to supply electricity. Even though the battery could supply
more electricity it had problems and there was need to look for a better power source.
In 1860, Antonio Pacinotti created a dynamo that provided a continuous DC power for the
first time. A few years later, Werner Von Siemens and Charles Wheatstone created a more
powerful and useful dynamo using self-powered electromagnet instead of a weak permanent
magnet. Things were looking brighter for electricity and in 1871 a turning point was reached.
Zenobe Gramme filled a magnetic field with an iron core which made a better part for
magnetic flux. This increased the power of the dynamo to a point where it was used for many
commercial applications. By the end of the 1870, the Ganz company began to use AC
generators in small commercial installations in Budapest. With that the economic power of
the age had arrived.
The generators have several functions that include; Routine power outages, standby power
for business and tailgating.
The Main Generator
A generator is an electrical device that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy. In
the company it is used as a backup in case of a blackout. It has a control panel where major
commands are executed.
Figure 2. The generator
2.2 CIRCUIT SYMBOLS
2.3 ELECTRICAL WIRING TOOLS
Electrical wiring is an electrical installation of cabling and associated devices such as
switches, distribution boards, sockets and light fittings in a structure. Wiring is subject to
safety standards for design and installation. There exist several factors that influence the
selection of wiring and include the durability, safety, appearance, cost, accessibility and the
maintenance costs.
There exist different types of wiring. First there is the casing and capping wiring whereby
there are rectangular blocks made from seasoned and knots free wood. There also exists the
cleat wiring. In this system of wiring, cables are supported and gripped between porcelain
cleats and 6mm above the wall or roof.
Third we have the sheath wiring whereby the CTS cables are available in single-core, twin-
core or three-core with a circular or oval in shape. Finally, we have the conduit wiring
system. The conduit wiring system consists of either PVC and VIR cables taken through
pipes or tubes and terminated at the outlets.
The general wiring rules include;
-The current rating of the cable/conductor should be slightly greater (at least 1.5 times) than
the load current.
-Every live wire should be protected by a fuse of suitable rating as per load requirements.
-Every sub-circuit should be connected with a fuse distribution board.
-All metal coverings used for the protection of earth must be connected to the earth.
-No switch or fuse is used in earth or neutral conductor.
-No additional load should be connected to the existing installation until it has been satisfied
that the installation can safely carry the additional load.
-All the switches and starters should be accessible to the operator.
-In three-phase ,4 wire installation the load should be distributed almost equal on the phases.
2.4 ELECTRICAL SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
Here are 10 electrical safety precaution to be undertaken at the workplace.
-Prevent all potential contact with live electrical current. The best way to stay safe is to stay
away from the electrical hazards. Unqualified personnel should not interact or come into
contact with electrical current greater than 50V.
-De-Energize equipment and use lockout. Exposed live parts should be de-energized before
work on or near them is permitted. The tag outs are used to protect employees from
electrical hazards while performing servicing and maintenance activities
-Ensure safe use of electrical equipment. Ensure unplugging of equipment when not in use
and not overstretching electrical cords are some of the preventive measures.
-Installing proper physical barriers round electrical hazards. Physical barriers are used to
protect people from the electrical hazards. cabinet doors in an electric panel should always
be closed, and panels should not have holes where an employee comes into contact with
exposed wires.
-Beware of conductive tools and cleaning materials. When working in an area where there is
an electrical hazard, always assume the electrical parts are live and act accordingly. Do not
use conductive tools in the area.
-When working overhead look above for electrical lines.
-Use extreme caution with the flammable materials. Electrical equipment that can cause
ignition must not be used where flammable vapors, gases and dust are present. The only
exception to this rule is when qualified personnel take measures to lockout and isolate
electrical energy sources before the potentially flammable materials may be used.
-Only qualified personnel should work on the live electrical wires. Only qualified people
with proper training should work on live electrical wires. The same electrical precaution
should apply to the hazardous electrical equipment.
-Always follow the company electrical safety precautions and work practices.
-Do not handle electrical equipment with wet hands. This is to avoid getting electrical shock.
CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY
3.1 THE SITE TOOLS
Multimeter
A multimeter is an electronic measuring device that combines several measurement functions
in one unit. It measures electric current, voltage and usually resistance over several change of
temperatures.
Pliers
This is a handheld tool used to hold objects firmly.The primary use of pliers is
gripping.Pliers are also used to strip wires.
Spanner
A spanner is a tool used to provide grip and mechanical advantage in applying torque to turn
objects usually rotary fasteners such as nuts and bolts.
Cable tie
A cable tie is a type of fastener used for holding items together primarily electrical cables and
the wires
Allen keys
These are simple drives for screws that have heads with hexagonal recesses. They are L-
shaped and are used for installation and removal of fasteners with hexagonal head.
Screw drivers
A screwdriver is a tool manual or powered used to drive in and out of screws.
Spirit level
This is a tool used to indicate how parallel or perpendicular a surface is relative to the earth.
Drilling machine
A drilling machine is used to make holes on metals, wood and metallic objects. It is also used
to drive the fasteners.
Soldering gun
A soldering gun is a tool that is used to join stained glass, light sheet metal and heavy
electronic soldering work.
Rubber tapes
The rubber tapes are used in slicing and terminating wires and cables because they offer
excellent physical and electrical factors.
3.2 THE YARD EQUIPMENT
The Rubber-Tired Gantry Crane.
A RTG is a wheeled gantry crane that is operated to ground or stack intermodal containers. It
loads and unloads containers. The machine functions to transfer containers onto the trailers.
Figure 3.RTG crane
The Rail Mounted Gantry Crane
The RMG crane runs on a fixed rail which is suitable for the terminal container yard and
railway freight station. It is a special container for loading and offloading containers.
Figure 4. RMG crane
High mast floodlights.
This are lights that have been designed to be installed many meters above the ground. These
luminaires provide high levels of luminosity and narrower beam angle to focus the light and
avoid scattering. The company has got several high lights (HL) as from HL 01 to HL 22.
Figure5:.Highmast light
The high mast floodlights operate under different types of modes. First there is the manual
mode where it can be manually turned on and off. Second it can operate under the automatic
mode where it uses the timer and the photodiodes. Under the automatic mode it will
automatically turn on when it gets dark as per the timer or when the frequency of light is
lower than normal and when there is sufficient sunlight it will turn off.
Reefer containers
A reefer container is an intermodal container that is used in intermodal freight transport that
is capable of refrigeration for transportation of temperature-sensitive, perishable cargo such
as vegetables, fruits and fish.
Figure 6. Reefer container
The reefer container is plugged in to a 3-phase power supply and a given required
temperature is reset so as to keep it cool and protect the perishable goods.
The substation
The 11 kV substation consists of the following
-Switchgear; (isolators, circuit breakers and earthing switches)
-Control gear; (current transformers, voltage transformers and contactors)
-Protective equipment; (relays, fuses and surge arrestors)
-The power transformers
-The bus bar
-The panels
Figure 7. Substation
The motors
A motor is an electrical device that converts electrical energy to mechanical energy. The
motors in this case are used to pump water in the company.
Figure 8. The motor
The Main Generator
A generator is an electrical device that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy. In
the company it is used as a backup in case of a blackout. It has a control panel where major
commands are executed.
Figure 9. Generator
CHAPTER FOUR: REPORT ON ACTIVITIES
Below is a summary of the activities we carried out during attachment;
-Maintenance of RMG(s)
-Maintenance of RTG(s).
-Installation of air conditioners.
-Motor(s) servicing and repair.
-High mast floodlights repair.
-The operation of the changeover switches in the generator room.
-Plugging in the reefer containers for cooling.
-Motor connections.
-Repairing of gantry lights at workshop.
-The functioning of contactors and circuit breakers.
-UPS repair.
-Learning of E-room components of the cranes.
-Changing the top plugs of various extensions.
-Safety induction.
- Connecting and replacing daylight fluorescent lamps
-Repairing of compressor machines
-modification and fabrication of 5 feet to 4 feet fluorescent fitting
-inducted on the working principle of radios and installed several of them
CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATION.
DISCUSSION.
Maintenance of RMG and RTG(S)
This involved but was not limited to;
-Cleaning the sensors of all the cranes and adjusting their position. Their positioning would
change due to the movements and carrying large cargo. Cleaning was to remove obstructions.
We fixed the limit switch (sensor) of RTG 007 that had been destroyed due to collision with
container. We also tightened the screws of all the sensors on the cranes. This was done on a
regular basis. The sensors on the cranes included the ultrasonic sensors on the front, the lock
and lock sensors on spreader, the wheel turning sensors and the limit switch.
-Cleaning of the spreader and its components. We cleaned the motors on the spreader and on
the panels on the spreader we reset the tripped circuit breakers and tightened the screws of
the contactors and coils. We also cleaned the panels.
-Changing the oil of the engines of the cranes , primarily done by the the mechanical team.
We regularly changed the oils of the engines of the cranes so to cool the engines.
-Changing or cleaning the filters of the generators on the RTG (s). The filters would gather
dust which might result to overheating. We also cleaned the windings of the generator.
-Aligning motors on the spreader that had moved from their original positions.
-Testing the functionality of the lock and unlock control on the spreader by using the screws
on the lock to determine whether it functions.
-UPS repair in the E-room of RMG 002.We Changed the capacitor of the UPS that had short
circuit.
-Replacing contactors and circuit breakers of the E-room of the cranes. Some of the circuit
breakers had short circuit and the contactors destroyed.
-Learning the various components of the E-room of all the cranes that is the contactors, the
circuit breakers, the coils, the drives, the bus bar, transformers and the PLC and its modules.
-Replacing the Intercoms of the cranes for instance RTG 04 intercom was worn out and non-
functional so we replaced it with a new intercom for communication within the crane.
-Tightening the motor covers and checking on the screws on the termination box.
-Replacing motor damper of (shock absorber) with a good one at RTG 003.The damper at
RTG 003 had been worn out due to accident.
Installation of Air Conditioners
Below is a simple wiring diagram of the air conditioner installation.
Motor(s) servicing and repairs
We disengaged old building motors 1 and 2 and their pumps from the field and took them to
the workshop for servicing and repair. We cleaned the pumps and motor stands using diesel
to remove rust. We also greased the motor parts to reduce friction.
We changed the motor bearings that were worn out due to friction and replaced them with
new ones. We then undertook the insulation resistance test and the continuity test to
determine whether the windings were correct.
After the servicing and changing the bearings of the two water pumps, we returned them
back to the field.
High mast floodlights repair
We changed the UPS of high light (HL 07). The one originally present had become faulty
due to short circuit hence we had to replace it with a new one for the lights to function. We
also reset the circuit breaker of HL 18 that had tripped and reset the operation mode to
automatic. We also changed the batteries of the UPS in the high lights 05 and 06.
We the studied the operation modes of the high lights that is the manual mode and the
automatic mode. We reset the modes on HL 017 and HL 018.
The changeover switch in the main generator room
The changeover switch is an automated switch that turns on the generator when the company
mains supply goes off and when the power from the mains supply gets back it automatically
puts off the generator.
Motor connections
We undertook the three motor connections that is the forward reverse, direct-on-line and the
star delta motor connections.
-In the forward reverse we have the general fuses that protect over-current. The also exists
two contacts one for forward and the other for reverse. Under normal conditions the three
phases are connected such that phase R will connect to pole 2 of the contactor 1 while phase
S will connect to pole 4 of the contactor 1 and the phase T will connect to pole 6 of the
contactor 1. Meanwhile the phases are interchanged on the contactor 2 so as to bring the
element of forward-reverse. The phase R is connected to pole 6 of the contactor 2 while the
phase S is connected to pole 4 and the phase T connected to pole 2. This results to the
interchange between two phases resulting to forward reverse motor connection.
-In the direct on line the motor is started at full load with full line voltage applied to the
motor terminals. This causes the motor to draw a large amount of current. The direct on line
is suitable for motor powers up to 4Kw with a maximum motor size of 10kw connected this
way.
The Direct Online power diagram has fuse unit (F1), the main contactor (K1) and an overall
relay. Below is the power diagram whereby the L1, L2 and L3 are the three phases.
-And finally, we did the star-delta motor connection. The star-delta starter is a common
method that is used to start a 3-phase induction motor. In this method the induction motor is
connected through a star connection throughout the starting period. Then when it reaches a
required speed, the motors connected in a delta connection. Below is the diagram for the star-
delta connection.
Repairing of gantry lights at the workshop.
We undertook preventive maintenance at the workshop where we repaired 12 gantry lights
that were faulty and destroyed. We changed the capacitors, the igniters and the ballasts
depending on which one of the above had been destroyed.
We used the below wiring diagram to do the connections between the igniters, capacitors and
the ballasts. Below is the gantry light with the ballast, igniter, capacitor and the wiring
diagram.
Figure 10. Halogen Discharge lamp
The functioning of the contactors and the circuit breakers.
We learnt how the contactors and circuit breakers’ function and their connections with the
other devices. The contactor is an electromagnetic switch that is used to switch on or off an
electrical circuit. The contactors are also used in the electric motors to balance the change in
frequency of the motor or the state of the motor. The contactor consists of three basic parts
that is the operating coil, the associated magnetic circuit and the contacts that are actuated by
the coil.
When an electric current passes through the contactor, it causes the electromagnet to create a
strong magnetic field. The magnetic field.
The magnetic field pulls the armature into the coil and creates an electrical arc. Electric
current flow in through one contact and into the device in which the contactor is embedded.
To deactivate, the contactor can be pulled out of the parent device in which it’s embedded
and operating. In the absence of electric current flowing through, the spring pushes the
armature, thus breaking the connection. Below is a diagram of the contactor.
We also learnt about and used circuit breakers. The circuit breaker is an automatically
operated electrical switch that is used to protect an electrical circuit from damage caused by
overload of electricity or short circuit. It functions to detect a fault condition and by
interrupting continuity to immediately discontinue electrical flow.
The circuit can also be used to isolate the circuit. The circuit breaker consists of fixed and
moving contacts. In normally on condition of the circuit breaker, these two contacts are
physically connected to each other due to applied mechanical pressure on the moving
contacts.The circuit breaker is mainly designed for opening and closing of the electrical
circuits. When a fault occurs in any part of the system, the trip coil of the breaker gets
energized and the moving contacts get apart from each other. This opens the circuits.
Installation of a new 3-phase meter.
We installed a new 3-phase meter at the first floor of the old administration block. The meter
was placed so as to control the load and offer readings on the power consumptions. In the
connections we have the power input and output for each phase and the section for the
neutral.
TRANCIEVER RADIO INSTALLATION
Inducted on how radios work and how they’re assembled. We installed several of them on
different offices and in all the crane machines. The new transceivers will facilitate
communication all over the company with ease.
RECOMMENDATIONS.
To the organization
I recommend that the organization offer more opportunities to student in terms of attachment
so that they can be able to get the better experiences in the field and in turn get the broader
view of the engineering field and the required skills. Secondly, I recommend that the
organization offers allowances to attaches. This is to help them boost and cope up with the
increasing transport expenses.
The organization should offer partial safety gear such as reflectors and also passport sized
port pass and its holder.
To the college
I recommend that the College should secure attachment opportunities for students so as to
save time wasted searching for one.
The college should also ensure enough syllabus coverage before the students get to go for
attachment so that they get the relevance of the work and relate.
Attachment assessors should be more vigilant and purpose to visit within the stipulated
attachment period.
REFERENCES
[1] www.kpa.co.ke
[2] S. Wakui, 3D Magnetic Field Analysis of a turbine Generator Starter Core-end Region.
The Transactions of the Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan 124-D, No 1 pp. 77-84
(2004).
[3] F.L, The Inventors of the electric motor, The Electrical Engineer, Vol xi,1891, No. 140,
S. 33-39
[4] F. Watkins, On Magneto-electric Induction, Philosophical Magazine and Journal of
science, London and Edinburg, vol. 7, August 1835, S. 107-113
[5 ] https://spectrum.ieee.org/the-institute/ieee-history/history-lesson-the-magnetic-compass.
