A submarine cable outgoing cable buffer and shock absorption module and a submarine cable outgoing cable guiding device

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of submarine cable laying technology, specifically disclosing a submarine cable exit buffer and shock absorption module and a submarine cable exit guide device. The submarine cable exit buffer and shock absorption module includes a support frame, a buffer and shock absorber, an acceleration sensor, and a shock absorption controller. This invention, by installing a buffer and shock absorber (magnetorheological damper) at the cable exit point, elastically supports the submarine cable exit. Based on the real-time parameters of the submarine cable, the damping force of the magnetorheological damper can be adjusted by controlling the magnetic field strength of the damper, thereby achieving auxiliary control of the tension and speed of the submarine cable. This avoids excessively large or small bending radii in the submarine cable. Because the magnetorheological damper and the cable exit point move up and down and back and forth accordingly with the heave and sway of the waves, it also reduces the impact and friction experienced by the submarine cable at the cable exit point under the heave and sway of the waves, reducing the risk of damage or breakage of the submarine cable and improving the quality and efficiency of submarine cable laying.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of submarine cable laying technology, and in particular to a submarine cable exit buffer and shock absorption module and a submarine cable exit guide device. Background Technology

[0002] Submarine cables are cables laid on the seabed or surface of water, primarily used in fields such as communications, power, petroleum, and meteorology. Submarine cable laying refers to the process of lowering a submarine cable from a ship into the water and laying it on the seabed or surface according to a predetermined route and depth. Submarine cable laying projects involve various factors, such as seabed topography, currents, waves, and ship movement, which place high demands on the quality and performance of the submarine cables.

[0003] In submarine cable laying projects, a crucial aspect is the design of the cable exit point. The cable exit point is the device that transports the submarine cable from the ship into the water, typically located at the stern or side of the vessel. Its function is to ensure the cable is not damaged during transport, while also controlling its tension and speed to adapt to different laying conditions.

[0004] Currently, commonly used submarine cable exit structures include roller type, pulley type, and drum type. While these structures can achieve the transport of submarine cables, they also have some problems. For example, due to the swaying and rolling of ocean waves, the submarine cable is subjected to strong impact and friction at the exit point, resulting in excessively large or small bending radii in the water, or even damage or breakage of the cable, affecting the quality and efficiency of cable laying. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This invention provides a submarine cable outlet buffer and shock absorption module and a submarine cable outlet guide device, which solves the technical problem of how to reduce the strong impact and friction on the submarine cable at the outlet.

[0006] To address the above technical problems, this invention provides a submarine cable outgoing cable buffer and shock absorption module, comprising a support frame, a buffer shock absorber, an acceleration sensor, and a shock absorption controller. The support frame is fixed to the hull below the cable outgoing port. One end of the buffer shock absorber is fixed to the support frame, and the other end is connected to a rigid guide rail at the cable outgoing port, the rigid guide rail being hinged to the hull. The acceleration sensor is mounted on the support frame and electrically connected to the shock absorption controller, used to detect the vertical acceleration of the submarine cable at the cable outgoing port and transmit it to the shock absorption controller. The shock absorption controller is used to control the damping force of the buffer shock absorber according to the vertical acceleration of the submarine cable.

[0007] Preferably, the shock absorber is a magnetorheological damper;

[0008] The damping controller controls the damping force of the buffer shock absorber according to the vertical acceleration of the submarine cable, specifically as follows:

[0009] During the acceleration phase of cable laying, the damping force of the buffer shock absorber is controlled with the goal of achieving a constant vertical acceleration of the submarine cable as the preset acceleration.

[0010] During the uniform speed cable laying phase of the submarine cable, the damping force of the buffer shock absorber is controlled with the goal of achieving a vertical acceleration of 0 for the submarine cable.

[0011] During the deceleration phase of the submarine cable, the damping force of the buffer shock absorber is controlled with the target of achieving the vertical acceleration of the submarine cable as the preset deceleration.

[0012] Preferably, the buffer damper includes a first magnetorheological damper and a second magnetorheological damper, the line connecting the connection point of the first magnetorheological damper and the second magnetorheological damper on the rigid guide rail is perpendicular to the rigid guide rail, and the first magnetorheological damper and the second magnetorheological damper are symmetrically located on the left and right sides of the submarine cable.

[0013] Preferably, the submarine cable outgoing cable buffer and shock absorption module further includes an attitude sensor installed on the support frame. The attitude sensor is connected to the shock absorption controller and is used to acquire the attitude information of the support frame and send it to the shock absorption controller.

[0014] The vibration damping controller is also used to determine whether the hull is swaying based on the attitude information. If so, the vibration damping controller adjusts the damping force of the first magnetorheological damper and the second magnetorheological damper according to the attitude information. Otherwise, the damping force of the first magnetorheological damper and the second magnetorheological damper is controlled according to the original strategy.

[0015] Preferably, when the support frame has a vertical displacement greater than a preset distance, or the tilt angle of the support frame is greater than a preset angle, or the support frame has a vertical displacement greater than a preset distance and the tilt angle of the support frame is greater than a preset angle, it is determined that the hull is swaying.

[0016] Preferably, the damping controller adjusts the damping forces of the first magnetorheological damper and the second magnetorheological damper according to the attitude information, specifically as follows:

[0017] The sway level of the hull is determined based on the vertical displacement and tilt angle of the support frame;

[0018] The damping forces of the first and second magnetorheological dampers are adjusted in conjunction with the sway level and tilt angle of the hull.

[0019] Preferably, the time T for the support frame to rise to the maximum vertical displacement within a preset time period is calculated; the ratio P1 of the absolute value of the maximum vertical displacement to T is calculated; and the ratio P2 of the maximum tilt angle within time T to T is calculated.

[0020] The sway level D of the hull is determined according to the following formula:

[0021]

[0022] Where α and β are the quantization scales of P1 and P2, respectively. This indicates rounding down to the nearest integer.

[0023] Preferably, the damping forces of the first magnetorheological damper and the second magnetorheological damper are adjusted in combination with the hull's sway level and tilt angle, specifically as follows:

[0024] When it is determined from the tilt angle that the hull is tilting toward the first magnetorheological damper, the damping force of the first magnetorheological damper is increased to a first preset damping force corresponding to the current sway level, and the damping force of the first magnetorheological damper is decreased to a second preset damping force corresponding to the sway level.

[0025] When it is determined from the tilt angle that the hull is tilting toward the second magnetorheological damper, the damping force of the first magnetorheological damper is reduced to the second preset damping force, and the damping force of the first magnetorheological damper is increased to the first preset damping force.

[0026] The present invention also provides a submarine cable delivery guiding device, including a cable reel, a cable reel guiding structure connected to the cable reel, a cable laying machine, and a flexible guide rail connected to the cable laying machine. The key feature is that it also includes the aforementioned rigid guide rail and a submarine cable delivery buffer and shock absorption module, wherein the rigid guide rail is partially overlapped under the flexible guide rail.

[0027] Preferably, the submarine cable delivery guide device further includes a set of delivery rollers mounted on the upper end of the rigid guide rail.

[0028] This invention provides a submarine cable exit buffer and shock absorption module and a submarine cable exit guide device. By setting a buffer and shock absorber (magnetorheological damper) at the cable exit point, the submarine cable exits elastically. According to the real-time parameters of the submarine cable, the damping force of the magnetorheological damper can be adjusted by controlling the magnetic field strength of the magnetorheological damper, thereby achieving auxiliary control of the tension and speed of the submarine cable. This avoids the submarine cable from having an excessively large or small bending radius. Because the magnetorheological damper and the cable exit point move up and down and back and forth accordingly with the heave and sway of the waves, the impact and friction on the submarine cable at the cable exit point under the heave and sway of the waves are also reduced, reducing the risk of damage or breakage of the submarine cable and improving the quality and efficiency of submarine cable laying. Attached Figure Description

[0029] Figure 1 This is a side view of a submarine cable delivery guide device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 2This is a top view of a submarine cable delivery guide device provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Reference numerals: 1-hull, 11-support frame, 12-buffer shock absorber, 121-first magnetorheological damper, 122-second magnetorheological damper, 13-cable reel, 14-cable reel cable guide structure, 15-cable laying machine, 16-flexible guide rail, 17-rigid guide rail, 18-cable delivery roller, 19-protective cover. Detailed Implementation

[0032] The embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiments are given for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting the present invention. The accompanying drawings are for reference and illustration only and do not constitute a limitation on the scope of patent protection of the present invention, because many changes can be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0033] This invention provides a submarine cable outgoing cable guiding device, such as... Figure 1 Side view and Figure 2 As shown in the top view, the submarine cable delivery guiding device includes a cable reel 13, a cable reel guiding structure 14 connected to the cable reel 13, a cable laying machine 15, a flexible guide rail 16 connected to the cable laying machine 15, a rigid guide rail 17 partially overlapping the flexible guide rail 16, a set of delivery rollers 18 mounted on the upper end of the rigid guide rail 17, a protective cover 19 mounted on the upper end of the rigid guide rail 17 and located above the delivery rollers 18, and a submarine cable delivery buffer and shock absorption module. It should be noted that... Figure 1 The cable laying machine 15 and protective cover 19 in the middle were not in Figure 2 As shown in the image.

[0034] The submarine cable wound on the cable reel 13 is pulled by the cable laying machine 15 and supported by the cable outlet buffer and shock absorption module. It enters the sea through the flexible guide rail 16, the rigid guide rail 17 and the cable outlet roller 18.

[0035] The submarine cable exit buffer and shock absorption module includes a support frame 11, a buffer shock absorber 12, an acceleration sensor, and a shock absorption controller. The support frame 11 is fixed to the hull 1 below the cable exit point. One end of the buffer shock absorber 12 is fixed to the support frame 11, and the other end is connected to a rigid guide rail 17 at the cable exit point. The rigid guide rail 17 is hinged to the hull 1. The acceleration sensor is mounted on the support frame 11 and electrically connected to the shock absorption controller, used to detect the vertical acceleration of the submarine cable at the cable exit point and transmit the data to the shock absorption controller. The shock absorption controller controls the damping force of the buffer shock absorber 12 based on the vertical acceleration of the submarine cable.

[0036] Specifically, the shock absorber 12 uses a magnetorheological damper. The vertical acceleration signal at the support is output from the acceleration sensor at the cable outlet and input to the damping controller of the magnetorheological damper. The damping controller calculates the damping force output by the damper according to preset conditions, and then outputs a corresponding control current. Since the control current output by the controller is relatively small, a conversion circuit is needed to amplify the control current. Then, the converter inputs the amplified current into the damper to control the vertical acceleration of the submarine cable at the cable outlet support.

[0037] The damping controller controls the damping force of the shock absorber 12 according to the vertical acceleration of the submarine cable, specifically as follows:

[0038] During the acceleration phase of cable laying, the damping force of the buffer shock absorber 12 is controlled with the goal of achieving a constant vertical acceleration of the submarine cable as the preset acceleration.

[0039] During the uniform speed cable laying phase of the submarine cable, the damping force of the buffer shock absorber 12 is controlled with the goal of achieving a vertical acceleration of 0 for the submarine cable.

[0040] During the deceleration phase of the submarine cable, the damping force of the buffer shock absorber 12 is controlled with the goal of achieving the vertical acceleration of the submarine cable as the preset deceleration.

[0041] To achieve better shock absorption, the shock absorber 12 includes a first magnetorheological damper 121 and a second magnetorheological damper 122. The line connecting the connection points of the first magnetorheological damper 121 and the second magnetorheological damper 122 on the rigid guide rail 17 is perpendicular to the rigid guide rail 17. The first magnetorheological damper 121 and the second magnetorheological damper 122 are symmetrically located on the left and right sides of the submarine cable. It should be noted that the left and right sides are used to distinguish that the first magnetorheological damper 121 and the second magnetorheological damper 122 are located on both sides of the submarine cable, and are in a relative positional relationship.

[0042] In addition, the submarine cable outgoing cable buffer and shock absorption module also includes an attitude sensor installed on the support frame 11. The attitude sensor is connected to the shock absorption controller and is used to obtain the attitude information of the support frame 11 and send it to the shock absorption controller.

[0043] The shock absorber controller is also used to determine whether there is swaying of the hull 1 based on the attitude information. If so, the shock absorber controller adjusts the damping force of the first magnetorheological damper 121 and the second magnetorheological damper 122 according to the attitude information. Otherwise, the damping force of the first magnetorheological damper 121 and the second magnetorheological damper 122 is controlled according to the original strategy.

[0044] When the support frame 11 has a vertical displacement greater than a preset distance, or the tilt angle of the support frame 11 is greater than a preset angle, or the support frame 11 has a vertical displacement greater than a preset distance and the tilt angle of the support frame 11 is greater than a preset angle, it is determined that the hull 1 is swaying.

[0045] When the hull 1 is swaying, the shock absorber controller adjusts the damping force of the first magnetorheological damper 121 and the second magnetorheological damper 122 according to the attitude information, specifically as follows:

[0046] The degree of swaying of the hull 1 is determined based on the vertical displacement and tilt angle of the support frame 11;

[0047] Adjust the damping force of the first magnetorheological damper 121 and the second magnetorheological damper 122 based on the sway level and tilt angle of the hull 1. Calculate the time T it takes for the support frame 11 to rise to its maximum vertical displacement within a preset time period; calculate the ratio P1 of the absolute value of the maximum vertical displacement to T; calculate the ratio P2 of the maximum tilt angle within time T to T.

[0048] The sway level D of hull 1 is determined according to the following formula:

[0049]

[0050] Where α and β are the quantization scales of P1 and P2, respectively. This indicates rounding down. α and β are used to balance the weights of P1 and P2 and to quantize D. They are set based on historical data so that D = 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

[0051] The damping forces of the first magnetorheological damper 121 and the second magnetorheological damper 122 are adjusted in combination with the rolling level and heel angle of the hull 1, specifically as follows:

[0052] When it is determined from the tilt angle that the hull 1 is tilted toward the first magnetorheological damper 121, the damping force of the first magnetorheological damper 121 is increased to the first preset damping force corresponding to the current sway level, and the damping force of the first magnetorheological damper 121 is decreased to the second preset damping force corresponding to the sway level.

[0053] When it is determined from the tilt angle that the hull 1 is tilted toward the second magnetorheological damper 121, the damping force of the first magnetorheological damper 121 is reduced to the second preset damping force, and the damping force of the first magnetorheological damper 121 is increased to the first preset damping force.

[0054] For each sway level, there is a pair of preset damping force values. The first preset damping force is a larger value, and the second preset damping force is a smaller value. When the hull 1 tilts in a certain direction, in order to reduce the tilt of the submarine cable, one damping force is increased and the other damping force is decreased to minimize the impact of the hull 1's tilt on the submarine cable's attitude. These preset damping force values ​​are set based on the results of previous tests.

[0055] In summary, the submarine cable exit buffer and shock absorption module and submarine cable exit guide device provided by the embodiments of the present invention, by setting a buffer and shock absorber (magnetorheological damper) at the cable exit point, elastically supports the submarine cable exit. Based on the real-time parameters of the submarine cable, the damping force of the magnetorheological damper can be adjusted by controlling the magnetic field strength of the magnetorheological damper, thereby achieving auxiliary control of the tension and speed of the submarine cable. This avoids the submarine cable from having excessively large or small bending radii. Because the magnetorheological damper and the cable exit point move up and down and back and forth accordingly with the heave and sway of the waves, the impact and friction experienced by the submarine cable at the cable exit point under the heave and sway of the waves are also reduced, lowering the risk of damage or breakage of the submarine cable and improving the quality and efficiency of submarine cable laying.

[0056] The above embodiments are preferred embodiments of the present invention, but the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the above embodiments. Any changes, modifications, substitutions, combinations, or simplifications made without departing from the spirit and principle of the present invention shall be considered equivalent substitutions and shall be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A submarine cable outgoing cable buffer and shock absorption module, characterized in that, The system includes a support frame (11), a shock absorber (12), an acceleration sensor, and a damping controller. The support frame (11) is fixed to the hull (1) below the cable outlet. One end of the shock absorber (12) is fixed to the support frame (11), and the other end is connected to a rigid guide rail (17) at the cable outlet. The rigid guide rail (17) is hinged to the hull (1). The acceleration sensor is mounted on the support frame (11) and electrically connected to the damping controller. It is used to detect the vertical acceleration of the submarine cable at the cable outlet and send it to the damping controller. The damping controller is used to control the damping force of the shock absorber (12) according to the vertical acceleration of the submarine cable. The buffer shock absorber (12) adopts a magnetorheological damper; The damping controller controls the damping force of the buffer damper (12) according to the vertical acceleration of the submarine cable, specifically as follows: During the acceleration phase of cable laying, the damping force of the buffer shock absorber (12) is controlled with the goal of achieving a constant vertical acceleration of the submarine cable as the preset acceleration. During the uniform speed cable laying stage of the submarine cable, the damping force of the buffer shock absorber (12) is controlled with the goal of achieving a vertical acceleration of 0 for the submarine cable. During the deceleration phase of the submarine cable, the damping force of the buffer shock absorber (12) is controlled with the goal of achieving the vertical acceleration of the submarine cable as the preset deceleration.

2. The submarine cable outgoing cable buffer and shock absorption module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The buffer damper (12) includes a first magnetorheological damper (121) and a second magnetorheological damper (122). The line connecting the connection point of the first magnetorheological damper (121) and the second magnetorheological damper (122) on the rigid guide rail (17) is perpendicular to the rigid guide rail (17). The first magnetorheological damper (121) and the second magnetorheological damper (122) are symmetrically located on the left and right sides of the submarine cable.

3. The submarine cable outgoing cable buffer and shock absorption module according to claim 2, characterized in that: The submarine cable outgoing cable buffer and shock absorption module also includes an attitude sensor installed on the support frame (11). The attitude sensor is connected to the shock absorption controller and is used to obtain the attitude information of the support frame (11) and send it to the shock absorption controller. The shock absorber controller is also used to determine whether the hull (1) is swaying based on the attitude information. If so, the shock absorber controller adjusts the damping force of the first magnetorheological damper (121) and the second magnetorheological damper (122) based on the attitude information. Otherwise, the damping force of the first magnetorheological damper (121) and the second magnetorheological damper (122) is controlled according to the original strategy.

4. The submarine cable outgoing cable buffer and shock absorption module according to claim 3, characterized in that: When the support frame (11) has a vertical displacement greater than a preset distance, or when the tilt angle of the support frame (11) is greater than a preset angle, or when the support frame (11) has a vertical displacement greater than a preset distance and the tilt angle of the support frame (11) is greater than a preset angle, it is determined that the hull (1) is swaying.

5. The submarine cable outgoing cable buffer and shock absorption module according to claim 4, characterized in that, The vibration damping controller adjusts the damping force of the first magnetorheological damper (121) and the second magnetorheological damper (122) according to the attitude information, specifically as follows: The sway level of the hull (1) is determined based on the vertical displacement and tilt angle of the support frame (11); The damping force of the first magnetorheological damper (121) and the second magnetorheological damper (122) is adjusted in combination with the sway level and tilt angle of the hull (1).

6. The submarine cable outgoing cable buffer and shock absorption module according to claim 5, characterized in that, Calculate the time T during which the support frame (11) rises to the maximum vertical displacement within a preset time period; calculate the ratio P1 of the absolute value of the maximum vertical displacement to T; calculate the ratio P2 of the maximum tilt angle within time T to T. The sway level D of the hull (1) is determined according to the following formula: ， in, The quantization scales for P1 and P2 are respectively. This indicates rounding down to the nearest integer.

7. A submarine cable outgoing cable buffer and shock absorption module according to claim 6, characterized in that, The damping forces of the first magnetorheological damper (121) and the second magnetorheological damper (122) are adjusted in combination with the sway level and tilt angle of the hull (1), specifically as follows: When it is determined from the tilt angle that the hull (1) is tilted toward the first magnetorheological damper (121), the damping force of the first magnetorheological damper (121) is increased to the first preset damping force corresponding to the current sway level, and the damping force of the first magnetorheological damper (121) is decreased to the second preset damping force corresponding to the sway level. When it is determined from the tilt angle that the hull (1) is tilted toward the second magnetorheological damper (121), the damping force of the first magnetorheological damper (121) is reduced to the second preset damping force, and the damping force of the first magnetorheological damper (121) is increased to the first preset damping force.

8. A submarine cable delivery guiding device, comprising a cable reel (13), a cable reel guiding structure (14) connected to the cable reel (13), a cable laying machine (15), and a flexible guide rail (16) connected to the cable laying machine (15), characterized in that: It also includes the rigid guide rail (17) as described in any one of claims 1 to 7 and the submarine cable outlet buffer and shock absorption module, wherein the rigid guide rail (17) is partially overlapped under the flexible guide rail (16).

9. A submarine cable delivery guide device according to claim 8, characterized in that: The cable delivery guide device also includes a set of cable delivery rollers (18) mounted on the upper end of the rigid guide rail (17).

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