What is this Electrical device?

[Greg theHijacke]

Hi all Cruisers,
I have a Franchini 45L monohull yacht and have had to replace a "Victron" Phoenix 12/50 charger that failed. I purchased the exact same model for ease of changeover. There is a removable panel behind the charger and hidden inside is what I believe to be the original charger from 1996 when the boat was built, instead of removing it from inside the locker when it probably failed the owner connected the Victron to the established terminals/busbar of this device and away they go.
My Marine electrician is happy with what has been done and I believe the failed charger was purchased in 2014, so no complaints.
My Electrician says he has never seen anything like it this device in the photos attached
I would like to know if anybody knows what it actually is, or the manufacturer?
It is not active but the switchboard refers to it as "Battery Charger"
Just curious.

[Wotname]

It is a AC transformer with a the ability to input 220VAC and transform it to 12V with a maximum current of 60A (at 12V).

Presumably there is a full wave rectifier attached to the output to convert the AC to DC.

[Jamme]

The label seems to indicate it is also a rectifier (“raddrizzatore”) — so Wotname seems correct, it should be a 220V AC to 12V DC transformer/rectifier

[Wotname]

Good pickup Jamme, I never thought to try to translate raddrizzatore. You are correct, it translates to rectifier.

[Greg theHijacke]

Thanks to Wotname and Jamme,
Is what you are saying mean that it performed as a battery charger?
To the best of my knowledge it was/still is connected to the 12volt batteries, I don't believe it has any 240 volt power connected to it though, and the Victron is certainly a lot younger than the vessel.so It seems that it was used as a charger.
Professor Google search on a website provided the following cut and pasted info but it seems that this device is more suited to aircraft.

"A TRU is used to change AC to smooth DC. The circuit diagram of the transformer rectifier which is used within the battery charger of a car is shown below.( not pasted)
This TRU device uses 240 VAC & changes it into around 14 VDC for the battery charging. [/U]This process can be attained through a transformer. At first, it step-downs the voltage from AC to a reasonable stage and after that converts it through an assembly of a bridge rectifier into DC.[/I]

https://www.elprocus.com/transformer...-applications/

As for a full wave rectifier being attached, I am unable to see another device inside the enclosure, so as it is connected to the Battery Charger switch on the main switchboard and when that switch is on the new Victron activates and the batteries are being charged I guess it must be a part of the device.
My marine sparkie did think it was what you guys are suggesting.

Thanks for the reply's
grateful for any further comments

[Jammer]

As posted upthread the bulk of the device is a transformer. The large red-sleeved leads likely lead down to diodes that form a rectifier.


Simple linear power supplies like these were once common but have been supplanted by more complex but smaller, lighter, and cheaper switching power converters of which your Victron charger is one example.


I would remove it from the boat or at least disconnect it from any power sources.