Submarine cable construction traction head and traction monitoring system

Abstract

The invention discloses a submarine cable construction traction head and traction monitoring system.The submarine cable construction traction head comprises a sealing assembly installed at the end of a cable core in a sealed mode, a steel wire fixing fitting is fixedly clamped on the sealing assembly and is of an annular structure, and one end of the steel wire fixing fitting is fixedly connected with an outer cover arranged outside the sealing assembly in a covering mode; and the other end is fixedly connected with the steel wire armor layer of the cable. According to the submarine cable, the steel wire fixing fitting is clamped on the sealing assembly and is fixedly arranged with the armor layer of the cable, so that the connection strength with the cable is improved, meanwhile, the cable core and the outer layer of the cable bear tensile force together in the traction process, and the submarine cable is effectively protected from being damaged due to the influence of the tensile force.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of submarine cable laying, and in particular to a submarine cable construction traction head and a traction monitoring system. Background Art

[0002] As an important medium for transmitting energy and information, submarine cables are widely used in offshore oil and gas, offshore wind power and offshore photovoltaic platform systems. During the laying of submarine cables, a towing and traction device needs to be installed at the head of the submarine cable to fix the traction wire mesh sleeve. The traction head can guide the direction of the submarine cable, bear the tension of the traction cable, and prevent the submarine cable core from entering water. It is an important technical means to ensure the safe laying of submarine cables. In the prior art, the installation of the traction head is generally to remove a part of the sheath of the submarine cable, and then set the submarine cable traction head sleeve on the exposed armor and part of the sheath of the submarine cable. Then, resin glue is filled in the gap between the submarine cable traction head and the armor, so as to connect and tighten the armor and the submarine cable traction head. The traction head of such a structure is only connected to the armor and sheath of the outer layer of the submarine cable. When in use, if the connection is not firm enough, there is a risk of falling off. If the connection is firm, since only the outer layer of the submarine cable is stressed, it is easy to cause the surface of the submarine cable to be damaged due to pulling. Summary of the invention

[0003] The purpose of the present invention is to propose a submarine cable construction traction head and traction monitoring system to address the deficiencies of the prior art, thereby improving the connection strength between the traction head and the submarine cable and effectively protecting the surface of the submarine cable from being easily damaged by tension.

[0004] The technical solution to achieve the purpose of the present invention is:

[0005] A submarine cable construction traction head comprises a sealing assembly sealedly installed at the end of a cable core, a steel wire fixing hardware fixedly mounted on the sealing assembly, the steel wire fixing hardware is a ring-shaped structure, one end of which is fixedly connected to an outer cover arranged outside the sealing assembly, and the other end is fixedly connected to the steel wire armor layer of the cable.

[0006] Furthermore, the steel wire fixing fitting is fixedly connected to the outer cover by thread locking, and is fixedly connected to the steel wire armor layer by welding.

[0007] Furthermore, water-blocking glue is filled between the two ends of the steel wire fixing fitting and the sealing component.

[0008] Furthermore, a plurality of rotatable rollers are mounted on the outer wall of the outer cover.

[0009] Furthermore, the sealing assembly includes a first seal, a second seal and a sealing layer, the first seal is sealingly installed at the end of the insulating core of the cable, the second seal is sealingly installed at the end of the optical unit of the cable, the sealing layer is sealingly arranged outside the cable core and sealingly wraps the first seal and the second seal, and the steel wire fixing hardware fixing sleeve is arranged on the sealing layer.

[0010] Furthermore, the first sealing member comprises a copper cover and a first heat shrink cover which are sequentially sleeved on the end of the insulating core of the cable from the inside to the outside; the first sealing tape and the second sealing tape are respectively wound around the interfaces between the copper cover, the first heat shrink cover and the insulating core; a first wrapping layer is wound around the outside of the second sealing tape; and the two ends of the first wrapping layer are respectively overlapped with the insulating core and the first heat shrink cover.

[0011] Furthermore, the second sealing member comprises a second heat shrinkable cover sleeved on the end of the optical unit of the cable, a third sealing tape is wound around the interface between the second heat shrinkable cover and the optical unit, a second wrapping layer is wound around the outside of the third sealing tape, and two ends of the second wrapping layer overlap the optical unit and the second heat shrinkable cover respectively.

[0012] The first wrapping layer and the second wrapping layer are PVC tape or moisture-sensitive tape.

[0013] Furthermore, a torque detection sensor is provided at the end of the second sealing member, and a humidity detection sensor is provided in the inner cavity of the outer cover.

[0014] The humidity detection sensor is a detection circuit and a humidity-sensitive unit electrically connected to the detection circuit. The humidity-sensitive unit is a humidity-sensitive element adhered to the inner wall of the outer cover or a humidity-sensitive material filled between the outer cover and the sealing component.

[0015] Furthermore, a positioning sensor is provided on the inner wall of the outer cover.

[0016] A submarine cable construction traction monitoring system comprises a controller, a receiving device and the traction head as described above, wherein the torque detection sensor and the humidity detection sensor are both connected to the receiving device signal, and the receiving device is connected to the controller signal. When the receiving device receives an abnormal signal from the torque detection sensor, the controller controls the humidity detection sensor to increase the signal sending frequency.

[0017] By adopting the above technical solution, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0018] (1) The traction head of the present invention is clamped on the sealing component by arranging a steel wire fixing hardware and fixed with the armor layer of the cable, thereby improving the connection strength with the cable. At the same time, during the traction process, the cable core and the outer layer of the cable are jointly subjected to the tensile force, effectively protecting the submarine cable from being damaged by the tensile force.

[0019] (2) The traction head of the present invention realizes the fixed connection between the outer cover and the steel wire fixing hardware by thread locking, thereby realizing a detachable connection and being easy to assemble.

[0020] (3) The traction head of the present invention is filled with water-blocking glue to prevent seawater from penetrating into the interior through the gaps between the two ends of the steel wire fixing hardware and the sealing component, thereby improving the sealing performance and achieving a better waterproof effect.

[0021] (4) The present invention adds rollers to effectively reduce the friction during the construction process and reduce the load of the traction device.

[0022] (5) The sealing component structure of the present invention adopts a multi-layer wrapping structure, firstly the insulating wire core and the optical unit in the cable core are wrapped and sealed separately, and then the whole is wrapped and sealed, so as to improve the waterproofness of the whole structure.

[0023] (6) The present invention provides a humidity detection sensor and a torque detection sensor to respectively detect the humidity inside the traction head and the stress condition of the light unit. When an abnormality occurs, a signal can be sent out in time, which is convenient for construction personnel to take corresponding measures.

[0024] (7) The present invention provides a positioning sensor, thereby facilitating the positioning and finding of the position of the traction head during non-continuous construction.

[0025] (8) The traction monitoring system of the present invention is provided with a controller to control the signal sending frequency of the sensor. When the torque detection sensor detects that the optical cable is not stressed, the torque detection sensor and the humidity detection device periodically send the unstressed state of the optical cable and the humidity state in the cover to the receiving device. The signal sending cycle is relatively long. When the torque detection sensor detects that the optical cable is stressed, that is, an abnormal stress signal, after the optical cable is stressed, its internal sealing component is likely to slip with the steel wire fixing hardware. At this time, the sealing performance in the cover may be greatly reduced. The controller controls the humidity detection device to increase the signal sending frequency, thereby closely monitoring the internal environment of the traction head. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] In order to make the content of the present invention more clearly understood, the present invention is further described in detail below based on specific embodiments and in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0027] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the traction head structure of the present invention.

[0028] The reference numerals in the accompanying drawings are:

[0029] Steel wire fixing hardware 1, outer cover 2, first sealing component 3, copper cover 3-1, first heat shrink cover 3-2, first sealing tape 3-3, second sealing tape 3-4, first wrapping layer 3-5, second sealing component 4, second heat shrink cover 4-1, third sealing tape 4-2, second wrapping layer 4-3, sealing layer 5, torque detection sensor 6, humidity detection sensor 7, positioning sensor 8, roller 9. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] In order to better understand the above technical solution, the above technical solution will be described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific implementation methods.

[0031] (Example 1)

[0032] like Figure 1 The submarine cable construction traction head shown includes a sealing component sealedly installed at the end of the cable core, on which a steel wire fixing hardware 1 with an annular structure is fixedly clamped, wherein one end of the steel wire fixing hardware 1 is fixedly connected to an outer cover 2 arranged outside the sealing component, and the other end is fixedly connected to the steel wire armor layer of the cable. The overall structure improves the connection strength with the cable, and at the same time, during the traction process, the cable core and the outer layer of the cable are jointly subjected to the tension, which effectively protects the submarine cable from being easily damaged by the tension.

[0033] Specifically, the steel wire fixing fitting 1 is fixedly connected to the outer cover 2 by threaded locking to achieve a detachable connection, which is convenient for assembly, and is fixedly connected to the steel wire armor layer of the cable by welding to improve the connection strength. In order to further improve the sealing performance, water-blocking glue is filled between the two ends of the steel wire fixing fitting 1 and the sealing component of this embodiment to achieve better water-blocking performance.

[0034] The sealing assembly includes a first sealing member 3, a second sealing member 4 and a sealing layer 5. The steel wire fixing fitting 1 is fixedly sleeved on the sealing layer 5. The first sealing member 3 is sealingly installed at the end of the insulated core of the cable, including a copper cover 3-1 and a first heat shrink cover 3-2 which are sequentially sleeved on the end of the insulated core of the cable from the inside to the outside. The first sealing tape 3-3 and the second sealing tape 3-4 are respectively wound around the interfaces between the copper cover 3-1, the first heat shrink cover 3-2 and the insulated core. The first wrapping layer 3-5 is wound around the second sealing tape 3-4. The two ends of the first wrapping layer 3-5 overlap the insulated core and the first heat shrink cover respectively. The second sealing member 4 is sealingly installed at the end of the optical unit of the cable, including a second heat shrink cover 4-1 which is sleeved on the end of the optical unit of the cable. The third sealing tape 4-2 is wound around the interface between the second heat shrink cover 4-1 and the optical unit. The second wrapping layer 4-3 is wound around the third sealing tape 4-2. The two ends of the second wrapping layer 4-3 overlap the optical unit and the second heat shrink cover respectively. The sealing layer 5 is sealed outside the cable core and seals the first sealing member 3 and the second sealing member 4. The overall structure adopts a multi-layer wrapping structure, firstly the insulating wire core and the optical unit in the cable core are wrapped and sealed respectively, and then the overall structure is wrapped and sealed, so as to further improve the waterproofness of the overall structure.

[0035] During the dragging process, the submarine cable may be twisted, which will affect the communication effect of the optical unit. At the same time, if the submarine cable is being dragged, attention should be paid to whether the cable is dry. The end of the second seal 4 of this embodiment is provided with a torque detection sensor 6, and the inner cavity of the outer cover is provided with a humidity detection sensor 7. The torque detection sensor 6 is composed of a full-bridge circuit, and a resistive strain gauge is pasted on the outer side of the optical fiber protection. When the optical fiber is twisted or stretched by force, the resistance value of the strain gauge changes, and the voltage in the circuit also changes accordingly. By detecting the change in voltage value, the stress condition of the optical fiber can be known; the structure of the humidity detection device 7 is that the humidity sensitive element is pasted in the outer cover. When the humidity in the entire cover changes, the resistance of the humidity sensitive element changes, and the voltage of its detection circuit also changes accordingly, so that the humidity in the cover can be detected. The humidity inside the traction head and the stress condition of the optical unit are respectively detected by the humidity detection sensor 7 and the torque detection sensor 7. When an abnormality occurs, a signal can be sent in time, which is convenient for construction personnel to handle accordingly.

[0036] The inner wall of the outer cover 2 is provided with a positioning sensor 8, so as to facilitate the positioning and finding of the position of the traction head during non-continuous construction. In addition, in order to reduce the load, the outer wall of the outer cover 2 is equipped with a plurality of rotating rollers 9, so as to effectively reduce the friction force during the construction process and reduce the load of the external traction device.

[0037] When installing the submarine cable traction head, first remove the submarine cable armor layer and internal filling to expose the insulating core and optical unit. Secondly, seal the insulating core, use the copper cover 3-1 to cover the end, and use the first sealing tape 3-3 to seal the interface, then put the first heat shrink cover 3-2 on the outside of the copper cover 3-1, use the second sealing tape 3-4 to seal the interface of the heat shrink cover, and finally use the first wrapping layer 3-5 to wrap the sealed part 1 / 2, the first wrapping layer 3-5 is PVC tape; then seal the optical unit, first put the second heat shrink cover 4-1 on the outside of the optical unit, then use the third sealing tape 4-2 to seal the interface, and finally use PVC tape as the second wrapping layer 4-3 to wrap the interface 1 / 2, and then install the torque detection sensor 6 on the outside of the second heat shrink cover 4-1.

[0038] After the insulated wire core and the optical unit are sealed, the water-blocking PVC tape is used to wrap the two to form a sealed component. After wrapping, the steel wire fixture 1 is fixed on the sealing component, and water-blocking glue is used between the steel wire fixture 1 and the water-blocking PVC tape so that the steel wire fixture can fit the sealing component firmly and seamlessly, thereby obtaining a better sealing and water-blocking effect.

[0039] Then, the stripped steel wire armor of the submarine cable is welded to the outside of the steel wire fixing hardware 1, and the positioning sensor 8 and the humidity detection sensor 7 composed of a humidity sensitive element and a detection circuit are adhered to the inner cavity of the outer cover 2. Then, the outer cover 2 with the roller 9 is installed on the steel wire fixing hardware 1 through threads to complete the assembly of the traction head. Finally, the wire mesh sleeve is fixed to the traction head by welding.

[0040] (Example 2)

[0041] The structure of this embodiment is similar to that of embodiment 1, except that the first wrapping layer 3-5 and the second wrapping layer 4-3 are moisture-sensitive tapes, the humidity detection sensor 7 is a detection circuit and a moisture-sensitive material filled between the outer cover and the sealing component. When the sealing inside the cover changes, a large amount of moisture-sensitive material will absorb the penetrated water, so that while detecting the internal humidity change, it can also provide a certain degree of protection for the cable, and when the penetrated water is less, the internal sealing of the cable can also be guaranteed.

[0042] (Example 3)

[0043] The present embodiment provides a submarine cable construction traction monitoring system, including a controller, a receiving device and a traction head as in Example 1, wherein the torque detection sensor 6 and the humidity detection sensor 7 are both connected to the receiving device signal, and the receiving device is connected to the controller signal. When the receiving device receives an abnormal signal from the torque detection sensor, the controller controls the humidity detection sensor to increase the signal sending frequency.

[0044] When the torque detection sensor 6 detects that the optical cable is not stressed, the torque detection sensor 6 and the humidity detection device 7 periodically send the unstressed state of the optical cable and the humidity state inside the cover to the receiving device at a relatively low frequency, and this signal sending cycle is relatively long; when the torque detection sensor detects that the optical cable is stressed, that is, an abnormal stress signal, after the optical cable is stressed, its internal sealing components are very likely to slip with the steel wire fixing hardware, and the sealing inside the cover may be greatly reduced at this time. The controller controls the humidity detection device to increase the signal sending frequency, thereby paying close attention to the internal environment of the traction head.

[0045] The specific embodiments described above further illustrate the objectives, technical solutions and beneficial effects of the present invention in detail. It should be understood that the above description is only a specific embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A submarine cable construction traction head, characterized in that: It comprises a sealing component which is sealed and installed at the end of the cable core. A steel wire fixing hardware is fixedly mounted on the sealing component. The steel wire fixing hardware is a ring structure, one end of which is fixedly connected to an outer cover arranged outside the sealing component, and the other end is fixedly connected to the steel wire armor layer of the cable.

2. A submarine cable construction traction head according to claim 1, characterized in that: The steel wire fixing hardware is fixedly connected to the outer cover by thread locking, and is fixedly connected to the steel wire armor layer by welding.

3. A submarine cable construction traction head according to claim 1, characterized in that: Water-blocking glue is filled between the two ends of the steel wire fixing hardware and the sealing component.

4. A submarine cable construction traction head according to claim 1, characterized in that: A plurality of rotatable rollers are mounted on the outer wall of the outer cover.

5. A submarine cable construction traction head according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sealing assembly includes a first seal, a second seal and a sealing layer. The first seal is sealingly installed at the end of the insulating core of the cable, the second seal is sealingly installed at the end of the optical unit of the cable, the sealing layer is sealingly arranged outside the cable core and sealingly wraps the first seal and the second seal, and the steel wire fixing hardware fixing sleeve is arranged on the sealing layer.

6. A submarine cable construction traction head according to claim 5, characterized in that: The first sealing member comprises a copper cover and a first heat shrink cover which are sequentially sleeved on the end of the insulating core of the cable from the inside to the outside; a first sealing tape and a second sealing tape are respectively wound around the interfaces between the copper cover, the first heat shrink cover and the insulating core; a first wrapping layer is wound around the outside of the second sealing tape; and two ends of the first wrapping layer are respectively overlapped with the insulating core and the first heat shrink cover.

7. A submarine cable construction traction head according to claim 5, characterized in that: The second sealing member comprises a second heat shrinkable cover sleeved on the end of the optical unit of the cable, a third sealing tape is wound around the interface between the second heat shrinkable cover and the optical unit, a second wrapping layer is wound around the outside of the third sealing tape, and two ends of the second wrapping layer overlap the optical unit and the second heat shrinkable cover respectively.

8. A submarine cable construction traction head according to claim 5, characterized in that: A torque detection sensor is provided at the end of the second sealing member, and a humidity detection sensor is provided in the inner cavity of the outer cover.

9. A submarine cable construction traction head according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inner wall of the outer cover is provided with a positioning sensor.

10. A submarine cable construction traction monitoring system, characterized in that: It includes a controller, a receiving device and a traction head as described in claim 8, wherein the torque detection sensor and the humidity detection sensor are both connected to the receiving device signal and periodically send signals to the receiving device, and the receiving device is connected to the controller signal. When the receiving device receives an abnormal signal from the torque detection sensor, the controller controls the humidity detection sensor to increase the signal sending frequency.

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