Cable protection device and method of installing same

Abstract

The application discloses a submarine cable protection device and a mounting method thereof. The device comprises a plurality of nested connection cylinder assembly; a single cylinder assembly comprises a sleeve, a nested connection structure connected at both ends of the sleeve and an annular flow guide structure arranged on the outer surface of the sleeve, each sleeve and nested connection structure are hollow structures and are used for the axial passing of the submarine cable; each nested connection structure comprises a female end and a male end, the female end and the male end connected with the same sleeve are used for the nested connection with the corresponding male end and female end connected with different sleeves; each female end is composed of two symmetrical half-spherical female end units, and each male end is composed of two symmetrical half-spherical male end units; each annular flow guide structure comprises an annular base and a plurality of flow guide plates with interval protrusions, the annular base is sleeved on the outer surface of the corresponding sleeve, and each flow guide plate is fixed on the corresponding region of the annular base, and the annular base is a structure capable of being opened and closed. The application aims to realize the anti-bending protection of the submarine cable.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of marine cable, in particular to a marine cable protection device and a method for installing the same. BACKGROUND

[0002] At present, submarine cable is the main way of power transmission for offshore wind farms, which directly affects the stable operation of offshore wind power. In order to protect the marine cable, most of the cables are laid under the seabed, which can effectively protect the marine cable from damage caused by ocean current load and marine organisms. The marine cable near the wind power foundation is connected to the wind power foundation through a bending pipe, which effectively limits the bending of the marine cable. However, the transition section of the cable extending from the end of the bending pipe to the seabed usually forms a suspended part. In the complex offshore environment, especially in the nearshore area, the ocean current and surge are strong, which causes scour pits around the pile and the marine cable, and gradually expands under the long-term action of the ocean current, and the suspended section of the marine cable is extended. This not only increases the risk of excessive bending of the marine cable, but also causes the suspended submarine cable to produce alternating vortex shedding under the action of the flow, which may cause vortex-induced vibration and mechanical damage, seriously threatening the safety of the marine cable. In addition, the marine cable exposed to the seabed may collide with the seabed rock under the action of the ocean current load, damaging the outer protective layer of the marine cable, and eventually leading to the failure of the marine cable.

[0003] The existing marine cable protection measures can be divided into direct protection and indirect protection. Direct protection includes marine cable bending protection, such as using a bending limiter, a bending-resistant pipe, and a support to prevent excessive bending of the marine cable; another type is outer protection, which prevents damage to the outer layer of the marine cable by using a protective pipe, covering, or burying. However, the covering and burying methods cannot be applied to the suspended section near the marine cable foundation. Although the traditional bending protection device can prevent excessive bending to some extent, it does not consider the limiting problem of the marine cable in the pipe, and the marine cable may still swing in the bending pipe and rub against the pipe wall, causing damage to the outer layer. In addition, due to the complexity of the seabed conditions, once the bending prevention device is damaged, it is difficult to maintain. Indirect protection prevents the extension of the suspended section by solving the problem of local scour, thereby avoiding excessive bending of the marine cable or vortex-induced vibration. Traditional methods include filling the scour pits near the pile with riprap and sandbags to reduce the length of the suspended section and indirectly protect the marine cable. However, these methods are difficult to construct, and the protection effect is not stable, which may pose a risk of secondary scour. The hollowing effect of the water flow will cause the filling material to settle, so regular inspection and reinforcement are required, which increases the maintenance cost in the later period and may have a negative impact on the surrounding ecological environment.

[0004] The existing patent with publication number CN118399306A discloses a submarine cable protection device, which comprises a jacket unit, the jacket unit comprising a sleeve, an internal buffer assembly, and an external buffer assembly; the sleeve is used for passing through the submarine cable; the internal buffer assembly comprises a plurality of internal buffer units, the plurality of internal buffer units are arranged in a circumferential interval along the inner peripheral wall of the sleeve, the internal buffer unit comprises a first flexible protection strip, the first flexible protection strip extends in the axial direction and is installed on the inner peripheral wall of the sleeve; the external buffer assembly comprises a connecting rope and a plurality of second flexible protection strips, the connecting rope is wrapped around the outer periphery of the sleeve, the plurality of flexible protection strips are connected through the connecting rope, and the plurality of flexible protection strips are arranged in a circumferential interval along the sleeve, and the flexible protection strip extends along the axis. Although the device can protect against collision and suppress vortex-induced vibration of the suspended section of the submarine cable, the application position is limited, and the suspended section near the wind power foundation cannot be comprehensively protected. SUMMARY

[0005] The main purpose of the present application is to provide a submarine cable protection device and its installation method, aiming to solve the technical problem of poor comprehensive protection effect of the existing submarine cable protection device for the suspended section of the submarine cable.

[0006] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present application provides a submarine cable protection device, which comprises a plurality of nested jacket assemblies;

[0007] Each jacket assembly comprises a sleeve, a nested connection structure connected to both ends of the sleeve, and an annular flow guide structure arranged on the outer surface of the sleeve, each sleeve and nested connection structure are hollow structures and are used for the submarine cable to pass through in the axial direction;

[0008] Each nested connection structure comprises a female end and a male end, the female end and the male end connected to the same sleeve are used for nested connection with the corresponding male end and female end connected to different sleeves;

[0009] Each female end is composed of two symmetrical half-spherical female end units, and each male end is composed of two symmetrical half-spherical male end units;

[0010] Each annular flow guide structure comprises an annular base and a plurality of flow guide plates with interval protrusions, the annular base is sleeved on the outer surface of the corresponding sleeve, and each flow guide plate is fixed on the corresponding area of the annular base, and the annular base is a structure that can be opened and closed.

[0011] Optionally, a plurality of grooves are arranged on the inner surface of each sleeve, and a corresponding buffer strip is embedded in each groove.

[0012] Optionally, each groove is T-shaped.

[0013] Optionally, each buffer strip is a flexible buffer strip.

[0014] Optionally, each sleeve is composed of two symmetrical half-protection shells.

[0015] Optionally, each annular base is composed of two symmetrical annular base half structures.

[0016] Optionally, each corresponding area of the hemispherical female end unit is provided with two symmetrical connecting protrusions, and each connecting protrusion is provided with at least two through holes for symmetrical fixing of two hemispherical female end units.

[0017] Optionally, each annular flow guide structure comprises an annular base and three flow guide plates with spacing protrusions.

[0018] Optionally, each flow guide plate is made of high-elastic polyurethane material.

[0019] In addition, in order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the application also provides a method for installing a submarine cable protection device, the method comprising the following steps:

[0020] Step 1: embedding the flexible buffer strip into the inner groove from both ends of the half protection shell in advance, and fixing the hemispherical female end unit and the hemispherical male end unit of the nested connection structure at both ends of the metal sleeve respectively to form two symmetrical half units of the casing assembly;

[0021] Step 2: placing the submarine cable in the half protection shell and closing the two half units of the casing assembly, and then fixing the female end outside of the sleeve and the nested structure symmetrically;

[0022] Step 3: fixing the annular flow guide structure on the sleeve to complete the installation of a single casing assembly;

[0023] Step 4: when multiple casing assemblies need to be installed, obtaining two half units of the casing assembly of a new section, and continuing to axially pass the original submarine cable through the two half units of the casing assembly of the new section, then nesting the hemispherical female end unit of the two half units of the casing assembly of the new section on the male end of another casing assembly, and fixing the female end outside of the sleeve and the nested structure symmetrically to install the corresponding annular flow guide structure, repeating the operation of the new section until the preset length is reached to complete the nested connection of multiple casing assemblies.

[0024] Beneficial effects:

[0025] (1) The device adopts multiple nested connection casing assemblies, which can extend the casing assembly according to actual needs, and the male end is nested in the corresponding female end, which can limit the bending degree between the casing assemblies, and realize the protection of the submarine cable from bending.

[0026] (2) The annular guide structure guides the flow by rotating the sleeve under the force of the guide plate, reducing the effect of the water flow on the submarine cable. The rotating guide structure effectively suppresses the regular discharge of vortexes in the wake field of the submarine cable, thereby avoiding vortex-induced vibration and alleviating fatigue failure of the submarine cable. The hinge connection design allows the annular guide structure to be installed more quickly underwater and allows for flexible replacement of accessories, reducing construction difficulty and subsequent operation and maintenance costs.

[0027] (3) The guide plate is made of high elastic polyurethane material, which gives it excellent wear resistance, tear resistance and corrosion resistance, which can further improve service life and effectively control costs.

[0028] (4) The construction process of the entire submarine cable protection device is simple, it is easy to install underwater, and the cost is low. Attached Figure Description

[0029] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without creative effort.

[0030] Figure 1 This is a side view of a single casing assembly according to an embodiment of a submarine cable protection device of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 2 for Figure 1 The diagram shows the structure of a half-unit of the casing assembly;

[0032] Figure 3 for Figure 2 The diagram shows the structure of the semi-protective shell.

[0033] Figure 4 for Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of the buffer strip in the diagram;

[0034] Figure 5 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of the ring-shaped base;

[0035] Figure 6 This is a top view showing the connection of multiple sheathing components in an embodiment of a submarine cable protection device according to the present invention.

[0036] Explanation of icon numbers:

[0037]

[0038]

[0039] The objectives, functional characteristics and advantages of the present application will be further described with reference to the embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments of the present application. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all the other embodiments obtained by a person of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort fall within the protection scope of the present application.

[0041] It should be noted that all the directional indications (such as up, down, and the like) in the embodiments of the present application are only used to explain the relative position relationship, movement condition and the like between components in a certain posture (as shown in the accompanying drawings), and if the certain posture changes, the directional indications also change accordingly.

[0042] In addition, the descriptions such as “first”, “second” and the like in the present application are only for the purpose of description, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying the relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined with “first”, “second” can explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features.

[0043] Furthermore, the technical solutions of the various embodiments of the present application can be combined with each other, but it must be based on the fact that a person of ordinary skill in the art can realize it, and when the combination of technical solutions appears to be contradictory or unachievable, it should be considered that the combination of technical solutions does not exist, and is also not within the protection scope claimed by the present application.

[0044] Referring to Figures 1-6 The present application provides an embodiment of a submarine cable protection device, which comprises a plurality of nested connection of jacket assembly; wherein a single jacket assembly comprises a sleeve 1, a nested connection structure 3 connected at both ends of the sleeve 1 and an annular flow guide structure 2 placed on the outer surface of the sleeve 1, each sleeve 1 and nested connection structure 3 is a hollow structure and is used for the submarine cable to pass through in the axial direction. And each nested connection structure 3 comprises a female end and a male end, one female end and one male end are connected at both ends of the sleeve 1, the female end and the male end connected to the same sleeve 1 are used for nested connection with the corresponding male end and female end connected to different sleeves 1, and then the nested connection structure is arranged in succession, so that the jacket assembly can be extended according to actual needs.

[0045] Further, as Figures 1-2As shown, each female end is composed of two symmetrical hemispherical female end units 31, each male end is composed of two symmetrical hemispherical male end units 32, and each hemispherical female end unit 31 is provided with two symmetrical connecting protrusions 33, each connecting protrusion 33 is provided with at least two through holes 3301 for symmetrically fixing two hemispherical female end units 31. In addition, the outer diameter of each male end is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the corresponding nested female end, so that the male end is nested in the corresponding female end, which can limit the bending degree between the jacket assemblies and achieve the protection of the submarine cable from bending. In particular, the connection schematic diagram is as shown in Figure 6 As shown, the number of jacket assemblies can be increased by the mutual engagement of the hemispherical female end units 31 and the hemispherical male end units 32, which can effectively control the cost.

[0046] Further, as shown in Figure 5 Each annular flow guide structure 2 includes an annular base 21 and a plurality of flow guide plates 22 with spacing protrusions, the annular base 21 is sleeved on the outer surface of the corresponding sleeve 1, and each flow guide plate 22 is fixed on the corresponding area of the annular base 21. Preferably, one end of each flow guide plate 22 is centrally symmetrically connected to the corresponding annular base 21; more preferably, each annular flow guide structure 2 includes an openable annular base 21 and three flow guide plates 22 with spacing protrusions. In actual application, the annular flow guide device can drive the jacket assembly to rotate under the action of water flow, which can disturb the wake field of the submarine cable, reduce the fluid force on the surface of the submarine cable, inhibit the regularity of the vortex of the wake field of the submarine cable, and thus avoid the occurrence of vortex-induced vibration, thereby relieving the fatigue failure of the submarine cable.

[0047] Further, as shown in Figures 2-3 The inner surface of each sleeve 1 is also provided with a plurality of grooves 15, and each groove 15 is embedded with a corresponding buffer strip 4. Preferably, each groove 15 is T-shaped. Each buffer strip 4 is a flexible buffer strip. The flexible buffer strip can achieve the effect of preventing collision and friction of the submarine cable in the sleeve.

[0048] Further, as shown in Figure 4 Each buffer strip 4 includes a waterproof protective sleeve 41 and a plurality of compression springs 42 arranged at equal intervals in the waterproof protective sleeve 41, which effectively improves the anti-collision and anti-friction effect of the submarine cable in the sleeve.

[0049] Further, as shown in Figure 3As shown, each sleeve 1 is composed of two symmetrical half protective shells 11, each half protective shell 11 is provided with a plurality of first fixing holes 12, second fixing holes 13 and third fixing holes 14, wherein the first fixing holes 12 are arranged at both ends of the edge of the half protective shell 11 and are used for the connection and fixation of the two half protective shells 11; the second fixing holes 13 are arranged at both ends of the two half protective shells 11 and are respectively used for the corresponding connection and fixation with the corresponding half spherical female end unit 31 and half spherical male end unit 32; and the third fixing holes 14 are arranged on the side surface of the half protective shell 11 and are used for the connection and fixation with the annular flow guide structure 2. Preferably, the half protective shell 11 is made of metal material.

[0050] Further, as shown in the figure, Figure 5 each annular base 21 is composed of two symmetrical annular base half structures, and the two annular base half structures are fixed together by hinges 23. The arrangement of the hinge connection makes it possible to install more quickly underwater and to realize flexible replacement of accessories, thereby reducing the construction difficulty and reducing the later operation and maintenance cost. Preferably, each flow guide plate 22 is made of high-elastic polyurethane material, so that the annular flow guide structure also has excellent wear resistance, tear resistance and corrosion resistance, which can further improve the service life and further control the cost.

[0051] Further, each annular base 21 is also provided with a plurality of first mounting holes 24, which are used to correspond to the third fixing holes 14 arranged on the side surface of the half protective shell 11, and the connection and fixation of each annular base 21 and the half protective shell 11 are realized through the third fixing holes 14 and the first mounting holes 24.

[0052] Further, as shown in the figure, Figure 2 a second mounting hole 34 is also arranged at the end of the half spherical female end unit 31, which is used to correspond to the corresponding second fixing hole 13 on the half protective shell 11, and the fixation of the half spherical female end unit 31 and the half protective shell 11 is realized through the second mounting hole 34 and the second fixing hole 13. Similarly, the half spherical male end unit 32 will also be provided with a corresponding third mounting hole, and the fixation of the half spherical male end unit 32 and the half protective shell 11 is realized through the third mounting hole and the second fixing hole 13 at the other end of the half protective shell 11.

[0053] In addition, in order to better illustrate the submarine cable protection device of the present application, the following will be described in detail through a specific installation method, which comprises the following steps:

[0054] Step 1, the flexible buffer strip 4 is embedded into the inner recess 15 from both ends of the half protective shell 1 in advance, and the two half spherical female end units 31 and half spherical male end units 32 of the nested connection structure are fixed at both ends of the sleeve 1 respectively to form two symmetrical protective casing assembly half units;

[0055] Step 2, place the submarine cable in the semi-protective shell and couple the two half units of the jacket assembly, then symmetrically fix the outer side of the female end of the sleeve 1 and the nesting connection structure 3 respectively;

[0056] Step 3, fix the annular flow guide structure 2 on the sleeve to complete the installation of a single jacket assembly;

[0057] Step 4, when multiple jacket assemblies need to be installed, obtain a new section of two half units of the jacket assembly, and continue to axially pass the original submarine cable through the new section of two half units of the jacket assembly, then nest the hemispherical female end unit 31 in the new section of two half units of the jacket assembly in the male end of the other jacket assembly, and symmetrically fix the outer side of the female end of the corresponding sleeve 1 and the nesting connection structure 3 respectively, and install the corresponding annular flow guide structure 2, repeat the operation of the new section until the preset length is reached to complete the nesting connection of multiple jacket assemblies.

[0058] The above is only the preferred embodiment of the present application, and does not limit the patent scope of the present application, any equivalent structural transformation made under the inventive concept of the present application, or direct / indirect application in other related technical fields using the content of the present application specification and drawings are included in the patent protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A submarine cable protection device, characterized in that, The device comprises a plurality of nested connection of the casing assembly; The single casing assembly comprises a sleeve (1), a nested connection structure (3) connected at both ends of the sleeve (1), and an annular flow guide structure (2) arranged on the outer surface of the sleeve (1), each sleeve (1) and nested connection structure (3) are hollow structures and are used for the submarine cable to pass through in the axial direction, and a plurality of grooves (15) are arranged on the inner surface of each sleeve (1), and a corresponding buffer strip (4) is arranged in each groove (15); Each nested connection structure (3) comprises a female end and a male end, and the female end and the male end connected to the same sleeve (1) are used for nested connection with the corresponding male end and female end connected to different sleeves (1); Each female end is composed of two symmetrical half-spherical female end units (31), and each male end is composed of two symmetrical half-spherical male end units (32); Each annular flow guide structure (2) comprises an annular base (21) and a plurality of flow guide plates (22) with spaced protrusions, the annular base (21) is sleeved on the outer surface of the corresponding sleeve (1), and each flow guide plate (22) is fixed on the corresponding area on the annular base (21), and the annular base (21) is a structure that can be opened and closed; each annular flow guide structure (2) comprises an annular base (21) and three flow guide plates (22) with spaced protrusions.

2. A submarine cable protection device according to claim 1, characterised in that, Each groove (15) is T-shaped.

3. A submarine cable protection device according to claim 1, characterised in that, Each buffer strip (4) is a flexible buffer strip.

4. A submarine cable protection device according to claim 1, characterised in that, Each sleeve (1) is composed of two symmetrical half-protective shells (11).

5. A submarine cable protection device according to claim 1, characterised in that, Each annular base (21) is composed of two symmetrical annular base half-structures.

6. A submarine cable protection arrangement according to claim 1, characterised in that, Each half-spherical female end unit (31) has two symmetrical connection protrusions (33) in the corresponding area, and each connection protrusion is provided with at least two through holes (3301), and each through hole (3301) is used for symmetrically fixing the two half-spherical female end units (31).

7. A submarine cable protection arrangement according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that, Each flow guide plate (22) is made of high-elastic polyurethane material.

8. The installation method of the submarine cable protection device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, comprising the following steps: Step 1, the flexible buffer strip is embedded in the inner groove from both ends of the half-protective shell in advance, and the two half-spherical female end units and half-spherical male end units of the nested connection structure are fixed at both ends of the metal sleeve to form two symmetrical casing assembly half-units; Step 2, the submarine cable is placed in the half-protective shell and the two casing assembly half-units are closed, and then the female end outside of the sleeve and the nested structure is fixed symmetrically; Step 3, the annular flow guide structure is fixed on the sleeve to complete the installation of the single casing assembly; Step 4, when multiple casing assemblies need to be installed, two casing assembly half-units of a new section are obtained, the original submarine cable is continuously passed through the two casing assembly half-units of the new section in the axial direction, then the half-spherical female end units of the two casing assembly half-units of the new section are nested on the male end of another casing assembly, and the corresponding sleeve and the female end outside of the nested structure are fixed symmetrically, and the corresponding annular flow guide structure is installed, and the operation of the new section is repeated until the preset length is reached, to complete the nested connection of the multiple casing assemblies.

Images