Submarine cable laying device and submarine cable laying construction method

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of submarine cable laying, and discloses a submarine cable laying device and a submarine cable laying construction method.The submarine cable laying device comprises a buoyancy part, an exhaust valve, an inflation unit and a control module, the buoyancy part wraps a submarine cable and is provided with an inflation cavity, and the inflation cavity is provided with an air vent. And the exhaust valve is arranged at the air vent and used for controlling opening and closing of the air vent. The inflation end of the inflation unit can communicate with the ventilation opening so as to inflate the inflation cavity. The control module is in communication connection with the exhaust valve and the inflation unit, can control the inflation unit to inflate the inflation cavity according to the preset inflation amount of the buoyancy piece, and can control the buoyancy piece to exhaust through the exhaust valve, so that the submarine cable and the buoyancy piece are laid on the seabed along a preset path. The buoyancy piece is buried together with the submarine cable after being exhausted, the working procedure of disassembling the buoyancy piece is omitted, and the construction efficiency can be improved. And the buoyancy piece is always coated outside the submarine cable, so that the submarine cable is protected. The laying requirements of submarine cables of different specifications can be met by adjusting the preset inflation volume, and the construction flexibility is high.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] Submarine cables are key equipment for cross-sea power transmission. They can realize long-distance cross-sea communication and power transmission. Submarine cables are also called submarine cables.

[0003] In the prior art, the construction method of the submarine cable is as follows: first, a foam buoy is tied to the submarine cable at a certain interval to help float the submarine cable, and the submarine cable is towed along the laying path with the help of a tugboat. After the submarine cable is laid according to the designed path, the buoy is removed, and the submarine cable is sunk on the designed path before burying.

[0004] Since the foam buoys need to be arranged on the construction ship in advance, they will occupy the limited deck working space, affecting the operation of the construction personnel. In addition, the buoys need to be removed later, and the construction steps are cumbersome, which affects the construction efficiency and leads to a long construction period. In addition, for submarine cables of different specifications and sizes, foam buoys of corresponding specifications need to be configured, which complicates the construction process.

[0005] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a submarine cable laying device and a submarine cable laying construction method to solve the above problems. Summary of the invention

[0006] Based on the above problems, the object of the present invention is to provide a submarine cable laying device and a submarine cable laying construction method, which can simplify the submarine cable laying process, improve construction efficiency and construction flexibility, and reduce construction difficulty.

[0007] To achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0008] On the one hand, a submarine cable laying device is provided, comprising:

[0009] A buoyancy member, which is wrapped around the submarine cable and has an air-filled cavity, wherein the air-filled cavity has an air vent;

[0010] An exhaust valve, disposed at the vent, for controlling the opening and closing of the vent;

[0011] An inflation unit, wherein an inflation end of the inflation unit can be communicated with the vent to inflate the inflation cavity;

[0012] A control module is communicatively connected with the exhaust valve and the inflation unit. The control module can control the inflation unit to inflate the inflation cavity according to a preset inflation amount of the buoyancy member, and the control module can control the buoyancy member to exhaust air through the exhaust valve, so that the submarine cable and the buoyancy member are laid on the seabed along a preset path.

[0013] As an optional solution of the submarine cable laying device of the present invention, the buoyancy member includes a buoy structure sleeved outside the submarine cable, the buoy structure includes an inner cylinder part and an outer cylinder part arranged coaxially, and the airtight inflation cavity is enclosed between the inner cylinder part and the outer cylinder part;

[0014] And / or, the buoyancy member is made of a flexible material.

[0015] As an optional solution of the submarine cable laying device of the present invention, the buoyancy member includes a first half ring tube and a second half ring tube, the first half ring tube and the second half ring tube are spliced ​​and wrapped outside the submarine cable, and the first half ring tube and the second half ring tube both have the inflation cavity;

[0016] Alternatively, the cross-section of the buoyancy member is C-shaped.

[0017] As an optional solution of the submarine cable laying device of the present invention, a plurality of the buoyancy members are provided, the plurality of the buoyancy members are arranged in sequence along the length direction of the submarine cable, and two adjacent buoyancy members are connected and fixed by a connecting member.

[0018] As an optional solution of the submarine cable laying device of the present invention, the buoyancy member is provided with a fixing part, and the connecting member includes a fixing ring, which is sleeved outside the submarine cable and connected to the fixing parts of two adjacent buoyancy members;

[0019] Alternatively, the buoyancy member is provided with a fixing portion, the connecting member comprises a binding belt, and the fixing portions of two adjacent buoyancy members are bound and fixed by the binding belt.

[0020] As an optional solution of the submarine cable laying device of the present invention, the inflation unit includes an air pump, the output end of the air pump is connected to an inflation pipeline, and an inflation plug is provided at one end of the inflation pipeline away from the air pump, and the inflation plug can be sealed and plugged with the vent;

[0021] And / or, the submarine cable laying device further comprises a traction device and a transportation device, the submarine cable to be laid is placed on the transportation device, and the traction device is connected to the submarine cable and is used to traction the submarine cable to move along the preset path;

[0022] And / or, the exhaust valve is an electrically controlled valve.

[0023] On the other hand, a method for laying a submarine cable is provided, using the submarine cable laying device as described above, and the method for laying a submarine cable comprises the following steps:

[0024] Obtaining a preset inflation volume of the buoyancy element;

[0025] Connect the inflation end of the inflation unit to the vent of the buoyancy member;

[0026] The control module controls the inflation unit to inflate the inflation cavity according to a preset inflation amount;

[0027] Lay the submarine cable along the preset path until the laying of the submarine cable is completed;

[0028] The control module controls the exhaust valve to open so that the buoyancy member exhausts air through the vent until the submarine cable and the buoyancy member are laid on the seabed along a preset path;

[0029] The submarine cable and the deflated buoyancy components are buried along the preset path.

[0030] As an optional solution of the submarine cable laying construction method of the present invention, the submarine cable laying device includes a plurality of buoyancy members, and the plurality of buoyancy members are arranged in sequence along the length direction of the submarine cable;

[0031] The steps of “obtaining a preset inflation volume of a buoyancy member” include:

[0032] Determine the theoretical inflation volume of a single buoyancy element according to the total weight of the submarine cable per unit length and a single buoyancy element; wherein the preset inflation volume of the first buoyancy element launched into the water on the submarine cable is the theoretical inflation volume, and the unit length is the length of a single buoyancy element;

[0033] Determine whether the buoyancy of the buoyancy member after launching into water meets the preset conditions;

[0034] If yes, then inflate each subsequent buoyancy member with the theoretical inflation volume as the preset inflation volume;

[0035] If not, increase the inflation volume, and use the adjusted inflation volume as the preset inflation volume to inflate the next buoyancy member to be launched into the water;

[0036] When it is detected that the buoyancy of the buoyancy member after launching into the water meets the preset condition, the inflation amount corresponding to the buoyancy member is used as the preset inflation amount to inflate each subsequent buoyancy member.

[0037] As an optional solution of the submarine cable laying construction method of the present invention, the step of "determining the theoretical inflation volume of a single buoyancy member according to the total weight of the submarine cable per unit length and a single buoyancy member" includes:

[0038] Obtain the mass m1 of the submarine cable per unit length and the mass m2 of a single buoyancy element;

[0039] Get the density of seawater ρ1 and the density of air ρ2;

[0040] The theoretical inflation volume is calculated according to the following formula:

[0041] V = (m1 + m2) / (ρ1 - ρ2);

[0042] Among them, V is the theoretical inflation volume.

[0043] As an optional solution of the submarine cable laying construction method of the present invention, the submarine cable laying device also includes a detection member arranged on the submarine cable or the buoyancy member, and the detection member is used to detect the pressure value or the liquid level value;

[0044] The step of “determining whether the buoyancy of the buoyancy member after launching into water meets the preset conditions” includes:

[0045] Obtaining the test value of the test piece;

[0046] It is determined whether the detection value of the detection member reaches a set threshold value. If so, it is determined that the buoyancy of the buoyancy member meets the preset condition; if not, the inflation amount of the buoyancy member continues to be adjusted.

[0047] The beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0048] The submarine cable laying device and submarine cable laying construction method provided by the present invention, before the submarine cable is launched into the water, the preset inflation volume of the buoyancy member is determined according to the specifications of the submarine cable, to ensure that after the buoyancy member is launched into the water with the submarine cable, the submarine cable can float on the sea surface under the buoyancy of the buoyancy member. During the specific construction, before the submarine cable is launched into the water, the inflation end of the inflation unit is connected to the air vent of the buoyancy member, and the control module controls the inflation unit to inflate the inflation cavity of the buoyancy member until the preset inflation volume is reached. Then, the connection between the inflation unit and the buoyancy member is disconnected, and the submarine cable is towed along a preset path by a traction device. After the submarine cable is laid, the control module controls the exhaust valve to open, the air in the inflation cavity is discharged, and the buoyancy of the buoyancy member gradually decreases, so that the submarine cable and the buoyancy member can gradually sink to the seabed under the action of their own gravity. Finally, the submarine cable and the buoyancy member after exhaust are buried together on the seabed along the preset path, and the submarine cable laying is completed.

[0049] Since the buoyancy component is wrapped around the outside of the submarine cable, and the buoyancy component is buried with the submarine cable after being exhausted, the process of disassembling the buoyancy component is eliminated, the steps of laying the submarine cable are simplified, and the construction efficiency is improved and the construction difficulty is reduced. At the same time, the buoyancy component is wrapped around the outside of the submarine cable, which will not occupy too much working space of the transportation equipment (such as a transport ship), ensuring the safety of the construction personnel. The buoyancy component after exhaust can always be wrapped around the outside of the submarine cable, which protects the submarine cable and extends the service life of the submarine cable. The control module controls the inflation unit to inflate the inflation cavity according to the preset inflation volume, and can adjust the inflation volume according to the different specifications of the submarine cables to meet the laying requirements of submarine cables of different specifications and sizes, and has strong construction flexibility. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0050] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on the contents of the embodiments of the present invention and these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0051] Figure 1 It is a connection schematic diagram of a submarine cable laying device provided in a specific embodiment of the present invention;

[0052] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the laying process of a submarine cable provided by a specific embodiment of the present invention;

[0053] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a buoyancy member provided by a specific embodiment of the present invention when it is not inflated;

[0054] Figure 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a buoyancy member provided by a specific embodiment of the present invention when not inflated;

[0055] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a buoyancy member after being inflated provided by a specific embodiment of the present invention;

[0056] Figure 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a buoyancy member after inflation provided by a specific embodiment of the present invention;

[0057] Figure 7 is a first flow chart of a submarine cable laying method provided by a specific embodiment of the present invention;

[0058] Figure 8 It is a second flow chart of the submarine cable laying construction method provided by a specific embodiment of the present invention.

[0059] In the figure:

[0060] 1. Buoyancy parts; 2. Exhaust valve; 3. Inflatable unit; 4. Control module; 5. Connectors; 6. Traction equipment; 7. Transport equipment; 8. Detection parts; 9. Input module; 10. Control valve;

[0061] 11. Inner cylinder; 12. Outer cylinder; 13. Inflatable cavity; 14. Ventilation port;

[0062] 31. Inflatable pipeline;

[0063] 51. Traction rope;

[0064] 100. Submarine cable. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0065] In order to make the technical problems solved by the present invention, the technical solutions adopted and the technical effects achieved clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0066] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the terms "center", "up", "down", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inside", "outside" and the like indicate positions or positional relationships based on the positions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present invention. In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance. Among them, the terms "first position" and "second position" are two different positions.

[0067] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection or a detachable connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, and it can be the internal communication of two components. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0068] like Figures 1 to 6 As shown, this embodiment provides a submarine cable laying device, which can simplify the laying process of the submarine cable 100, improve the construction efficiency and construction flexibility, and reduce the construction difficulty. The submarine cable laying device includes a buoyancy member 1, an exhaust valve 2, an inflation unit 3 and a control module 4.

[0069] Among them, see Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 5 The buoyancy member 1 is wrapped around the submarine cable 100 and has an air-filled cavity 13, and the air-filled cavity 13 has an air vent 14. The exhaust valve 2 is arranged at the air vent 14, and is used to control the opening and closing of the air vent 14. The inflation end of the inflation unit 3 can be connected with the air vent 14 to inflate the air-filled cavity 13 through the air vent 14. The control module 4 is communicatively connected with the exhaust valve 2 and the inflation unit 3, and the control module 4 can control the inflation unit 3 to inflate the air into the air vent 13 according to the preset inflation amount of the buoyancy member 1, and the control module 4 can control the buoyancy member 1 to exhaust air through the exhaust valve 2, so that the submarine cable 100 and the buoyancy member 1 are laid on the seabed along a preset path.

[0070] The submarine cable laying device provided in this embodiment determines the preset inflation volume of the buoyancy member 1 according to the specifications of the submarine cable 100 before the submarine cable 100 is launched into the water, so as to ensure that after the buoyancy member 1 is launched into the water with the submarine cable 100, the submarine cable 100 can float on the sea surface under the buoyancy of the buoyancy member 1. In the specific construction, before the submarine cable 100 is launched into the water, the inflation end of the inflation unit 3 is connected to the air vent 14 of the buoyancy member 1, and the control module 4 controls the inflation unit 3 to inflate the inflation chamber 13 of the buoyancy member 1 until the preset inflation volume is reached. Then, the connection between the inflation unit 3 and the buoyancy member 1 is disconnected, and the submarine cable 100 is towed along the preset path by the traction device 6. After the laying of the submarine cable 100 is completed, the control module 4 controls the exhaust valve 2 to open, the air in the inflation chamber 13 is discharged, and the buoyancy of the buoyancy member 1 gradually decreases, so that the submarine cable 100 and the buoyancy member 1 can gradually sink to the seabed under the action of their own gravity. Finally, the submarine cable 100 and the deflated buoyancy member 1 are buried together on the seabed along a preset path, thus completing the laying of the submarine cable 100 .

[0071] Since the buoyancy member 1 is wrapped around the outside of the submarine cable 100, and the buoyancy member 1 is buried together with the submarine cable 100 after being exhausted, the process of disassembling the buoyancy member 1 is omitted, the construction steps of laying the submarine cable 100 are simplified, and the construction efficiency can be improved. At the same time, the buoyancy member 1 is wrapped around the outside of the submarine cable 100, and will not occupy too much working space of the transportation equipment 7 (such as a transport ship), thereby ensuring the safety of the construction personnel. The buoyancy member 1 after exhaust can always be wrapped around the outside of the submarine cable 100, which plays a protective role on the submarine cable 100 and prolongs the service life of the submarine cable 100. The control module 4 controls the inflation unit 3 to inflate the inflation chamber 13 according to the preset inflation amount, and can adjust the inflation amount according to the different specifications of the submarine cable 100 to meet the laying requirements of the submarine cables 100 of different specifications and sizes, and has strong construction flexibility.

[0072] Optionally, the exhaust valve 2 is an electrically controlled valve, and the control module 4 can remotely control the opening and closing of the exhaust valve 2, thereby remotely controlling the exhaust of the buoyancy member 1, so that the submarine cable 100 and the buoyancy member 1 are sunk to the seabed together.

[0073] See also Figure 3 and Figure 4 The buoyancy member 1 includes a buoy structure sleeved on the outside of the submarine cable 100. The buoy structure includes an inner cylinder 11 and an outer cylinder 12 arranged coaxially. A closed air-filled cavity 13 is formed between the inner cylinder 11 and the outer cylinder 12. That is, the buoy structure is an annular cylinder, which is integrated with the submarine cable 100. When not inflated, the buoy structure is in a contracted state. After the air-filled cavity 13 is inflated by the air-filling unit 3, the air-filled cavity 13 is inflated. Figure 5 and Figure 6As shown, the buoy structure expands and becomes larger. At this time, the submarine cable 100 and the buoy structure are launched into the water together, and the buoy can carry the submarine cable 100 and float on the sea surface, which is convenient for pulling the submarine cable 100 to move along the preset path. When the submarine cable 100 is sunk later, it is only necessary to control the vent 14 to open through the exhaust valve 2 to exhaust the inflation chamber 13, the buoy structure shrinks, the buoyancy becomes smaller, and the buoy structure can sink to the seabed together with the submarine cable 100. The buoy structure is designed to be sheathed outside the submarine cable 100, which can fully wrap the submarine cable 100 and effectively protect the submarine cable 100.

[0074] Optionally, the buoy structure can be coated according to the specifications of the submarine cable 100 before the submarine cable 100 leaves the factory. When the submarine cable 100 is laid, it is only necessary to inflate the buoy structure, which can further reduce the on-site construction process and improve construction efficiency.

[0075] Optionally, the buoyancy member 1 is made of a flexible material. The buoyancy member 1 made of a flexible material can be adaptively deformed when inflated and deflated, so that the buoyancy can be changed by adjusting the amount of inflation to meet the installation requirements of submarine cables 100 of different specifications. Exemplarily, the flexible material can be a rubber material, such as polyurethane rubber or chloroprene rubber, which has low permeability, acid and alkali resistance, and corrosion resistance.

[0076] In some other embodiments, the buoyancy member 1 may also include a first half ring cylinder and a second half ring cylinder, which are spliced ​​and wrapped outside the submarine cable 100, and both the first half ring cylinder and the second half ring cylinder have an inflation cavity 13. That is, the buoyancy member 1 is wrapped around the submarine cable 100 by splicing two semi-cylinders, and the two semi-cylinders can be fixed by a clamping ring or by a tying member. When inflating, the inflation cavity 13 of the first half ring cylinder and the inflation cavity 13 of the second half ring cylinder are both inflated.

[0077] In other embodiments, the cross-sectional shape of the buoyancy member 1 may be C-shaped. That is, the buoyancy member 1 does not completely cover the submarine cable 100, and the C-shaped opening is designed to be smaller than the diameter of the submarine cable 100 to prevent the buoyancy member 1 from being separated from the submarine cable 100. Alternatively, the C-shaped opening of the buoyancy member 1 may be designed to be larger than the diameter of the submarine cable 100, and the submarine cable 100 may be inserted from the opening, which facilitates the assembly of the buoyancy member 1 during the production of the submarine cable 100. In this case, a tightening ring may be coaxially sleeved outside the buoyancy member 1 to prevent the buoyancy member 1 from being separated from the submarine cable 100.

[0078] See also Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 5There are multiple buoyancy members 1, which are arranged in sequence along the length direction of the cable 100, and two adjacent buoyancy members 1 are connected and fixed by a connecting member 5. Since the multiple buoyancy members 1 are sequentially launched along the moving direction of the cable 100 during the launching process of the cable 100, the arrangement of the multiple buoyancy members 1 can adaptively adjust the inflation amount of the buoyancy members 1 launched later according to the floating state of the buoyancy members 1 launched earlier at sea, so that the cable 100 can float stably on the sea surface after being launched as a whole, which is conducive to adjusting the laying track of the cable 100. Fixing two adjacent buoyancy members 1 by a connecting member 5 can prevent the buoyancy members 1 from moving randomly relative to the cable 100, and ensure the stable floating of the cable 100 after being launched.

[0079] In this embodiment, a plurality of buoyancy members 1 are arranged side by side and closely attached. In other embodiments, a plurality of buoyancy members 1 may be arranged at equal intervals, that is, a certain distance is maintained between each two adjacent buoyancy members 1, as long as the floating requirements of the submarine cable 100 can be met.

[0080] Optionally, a fixing portion is provided on the buoyancy member 1, and the connecting member 5 includes a fixing ring, which is sleeved outside the submarine cable 100 and connected to the fixing portions of two adjacent buoyancy members 1. In this embodiment, taking the buoyancy member 1 as a buoy structure as an example, the fixing portion is provided on the inner cylinder portion 11 of the buoy structure, and the fixing portions of two adjacent buoy structures extend toward each other. The fixing portion can be tied and fixed with the fixing ring, or fixed by bonding, etc. In this way, during the expansion process of the buoy structure, the fixing ring will not interfere with the buoy structure.

[0081] In other embodiments, the connecting member 5 may include a binding belt, and the fixing parts of two adjacent buoyancy members 1 are directly fixed by binding with the binding belt, as long as the two adjacent buoyancy members 1 can be connected together, and the fixing methods listed above are not limited thereto.

[0082] Optionally, see Figure 1 The inflation unit 3 includes an air pump, the output end of the air pump is connected to an inflation pipeline 31, and an inflation plug (not shown) is provided at one end of the inflation pipeline 31 away from the air pump, and the inflation plug can be sealed and plugged with the vent 14. The inflation pipeline 31 and the vent 14 are connected and removed by plugging and unplugging, which is simple, convenient and fast to ensure construction efficiency. Among them, the plugging and unplugging operation between the air pump and the vent 14 of the buoyancy member 1 can be completed manually or by a robotic arm.

[0083] Furthermore, a control valve 10 is provided on the inflation pipeline 31, and the control valve 10 is used to control the on-off of the inflation pipeline 31. Exemplarily, the control valve 10 is an electric control valve, which is convenient for realizing automatic control.

[0084] See also Figure 2The submarine cable laying device also includes a traction device 6 and a transportation device 7. The submarine cable 100 to be laid is placed on the transportation device 7. The traction device 6 is connected to the submarine cable 100 and is used to traction the submarine cable 100 to move along a preset path. During the specific construction, the submarine cable 100 to be laid is coiled on the transportation device 7. The free end of the submarine cable 100 can be connected to the traction device 6 through a traction rope 51. Whenever a buoyancy member 1 is inflated, the traction device 6 tractions the submarine cable 100 to move a certain distance along the preset path until the laying of the submarine cable 100 is completed.

[0085] Exemplarily, the traction equipment 6 may be a traction boat, the transportation equipment 7 may be a transportation boat, and the construction personnel may perform inflation operations and release operations of the submarine cable 100 on the transportation boat.

[0086] like Figure 7 As shown, this embodiment also provides a submarine cable laying method, using the submarine cable laying device as described above, the submarine cable laying method includes the following steps:

[0087] S1, obtaining a preset inflation volume of the buoyancy member 1;

[0088] S2, connecting the inflation end of the inflation unit 3 to the vent 14 of the buoyancy member 1;

[0089] S3, the control module 4 controls the inflation unit 3 to inflate the inflation chamber 13 according to the preset inflation amount;

[0090] S4, laying the submarine cable 100 along a preset path until the laying of the submarine cable 100 is completed;

[0091] S5, the control module 4 controls the exhaust valve 2 to open, so that the buoyancy member 1 exhausts air through the vent 14, until the submarine cable 100 and the buoyancy member 1 are laid on the seabed along a preset path;

[0092] S6. Bury the submarine cable 100 and the deflated buoyancy member 1 along a preset path.

[0093] Among them, in step S2, the inflation unit 3 includes an air pump, the output end of the air pump is connected to the inflation pipeline 31, and the end of the inflation pipeline 31 away from the air pump is provided with an inflation plug, and the inflation plug is sealed and plugged with the vent 14, and the inflation unit 3 and the buoyancy member 1 are connected by plugging. In step S5, the exhaust valve 2 is an electrically controlled valve, and the control module 4 can remotely control the exhaust valve 2 to open so that the buoyancy member 1 can be exhausted. In step S6, the submarine cable is buried at a certain depth under the seabed, which can avoid damage caused by human operations and has high safety.

[0094] The submarine cable 100 is laid by the above-mentioned submarine cable laying construction method. There is no need to disassemble the buoyancy member 1 after the submarine cable 100 is sunk, which simplifies the construction steps of the submarine cable 100, can improve the construction efficiency, and reduce the construction difficulty. At the same time, the buoyancy member 1 is buried with the submarine cable 100 after exhausting, so that the buoyancy member 1 can always protect the submarine cable 100 and extend the service life of the submarine cable 100. By adjusting the inflation volume according to the different specifications of the submarine cable 100 through the control module 4, the laying requirements of the submarine cables 100 of different specifications can be met, and the construction flexibility is strong. Especially for the shoal area, due to the shallow sea water, the professional construction ship cannot reach the shoal area due to the deep draft. The submarine cable 100 is laid by the above-mentioned floating method, which is simple, fast and efficient.

[0095] Optionally, see Figure 2 The submarine cable laying device comprises a plurality of buoyancy members 1, and the plurality of buoyancy members 1 are arranged in sequence along the length direction of the submarine cable 100. Figure 8 , wherein in step S1, the step of “obtaining a preset inflation volume of the buoyancy member 1” comprises:

[0096] S11, determining the theoretical inflation volume of a single buoyancy member 1 according to the total weight of the submarine cable 100 per unit length and a single buoyancy member 1; wherein the preset inflation volume of the first buoyancy member 1 launched on the submarine cable 100 is the theoretical inflation volume, and the unit length is the length of a single buoyancy member 1;

[0097] S12, determining whether the buoyancy of the buoyancy member 1 after launching into the water meets a preset condition;

[0098] If yes, then inflate each subsequent buoyancy member 1 with the theoretical inflation volume as the preset inflation volume;

[0099] If not, increase the inflation volume, and use the adjusted inflation volume as the preset inflation volume to inflate the next buoyancy member 1 that is launched into the water;

[0100] When it is detected that the buoyancy of the buoyancy member 1 after launching into the water meets the preset condition, the inflation amount corresponding to the buoyancy member 1 is used as the preset inflation amount to inflate each subsequent buoyancy member 1 .

[0101] That is, before construction, the buoyancy required for the submarine cable 100 to remain floating after launching is calculated based on the weight of the unit length of the submarine cable 100 and a single buoyancy member 1, and then the inflation volume of the buoyancy member 1 is calculated based on the buoyancy, that is, the theoretical inflation volume is obtained.

[0102] During construction, the first buoyancy member 1 launched is inflated according to the theoretical inflation volume. After the first buoyancy member 1 is launched, it is determined whether it can carry the section of submarine cable 100 and float stably on the sea surface. If it can float stably, it means that the inflation volume meets the requirements. Next, each buoyancy member 1 is inflated to reach the theoretical air output volume, and the buoyancy members 1 are inflated and launched one by one until the laying length of the submarine cable 100 meets the requirements.

[0103] If the first buoyancy member 1 cannot make the section of submarine cable 100 float stably on the sea surface after launching, it indicates that the inflation volume is insufficient, and the inflation volume of the next second buoyancy member 1 is adaptively increased, that is, the theoretical inflation volume is corrected. After the second buoyancy member 1 is launched, it is determined whether it can carry the submarine cable 100 for stable floating. If it can float stably, the adjusted inflation volume is used as the preset inflation volume to inflate the next buoyancy member 1. If it cannot float stably, the inflation volume is continued to be increased until the buoyancy member 1 after launching can carry the submarine cable 100 for stable floating, indicating that the buoyancy of the buoyancy member 1 meets the preset conditions, and the inflation volume corresponding to the current buoyancy member 1 is used as the preset inflation volume to inflate each subsequent buoyancy member 1.

[0104] With such arrangement, the buoyancy of the buoyancy member 1 can be adjusted according to the actual construction situation to ensure that the submarine cable 100 can eventually float stably on the sea surface, so that the laying construction of the submarine cable 100 can be smoothly carried out with the help of floating transportation, thereby ensuring construction efficiency.

[0105] In the prior art, since the foam floats need to be arranged on the transport ship in advance, they will occupy the limited deck working space and affect the operation of the construction workers.

[0106] In this embodiment, since the buoyancy members 1 are inflated and launched one by one, there is no need to inflate all the buoyancy members 1, which can avoid excessive occupation of the deck space of the transport ship, ensure that the construction personnel have enough construction operation space, and improve construction safety.

[0107] Furthermore, in step S11, the step of “determining the theoretical inflation volume of a single buoyancy member 1 according to the total weight of the submarine cable 100 per unit length and a single buoyancy member 1” includes:

[0108] S111, obtaining the mass m1 of the submarine cable 100 per unit length and the mass m2 of a single buoyancy element 1;

[0109] S112, obtaining the density ρ1 of seawater and the density ρ2 of air;

[0110] S113, calculate the theoretical inflation volume according to the following formula:

[0111] V = (m1 + m2) / (ρ1 - ρ2);

[0112] Among them, V is the theoretical inflation volume.

[0113] In this embodiment, the unit length corresponds to the length of a single buoyancy member 1. Once the size of the submarine cable 100 is determined, its mass is also determined. A single buoyancy member 1 is an independent unit and its mass is fixed when not inflated. Therefore, m1 and m2 are both known values.

[0114] The density of seawater ρ1 is 1.02 g / cm3 ~1.07g / cm 3 The specific value can be determined according to the actual seawater depth, temperature, salinity, etc. of the area where the submarine cable 100 is laid. At 0°C and 1 standard atmospheric pressure (1atm), the density of air ρ2 is 1.29Kg / m 3 (1.29×10 -3 g / cm 3 ).

[0115] Further, see Figure 1 The submarine cable laying device also includes an input module 9, through which parameters such as m1, m2, ρ1, ρ2, etc. can be input into the control module 4, thereby obtaining the theoretical inflation volume of the buoyancy member 1.

[0116] Furthermore, the derivation process of the above calculation formula is as follows:

[0117] Assume that the buoyancy of the submarine cable 100 on the seawater is F;

[0118] F = ρ1*V1*g;

[0119] Wherein, ρ1 is the density of seawater, V1 is the displacement of the buoyancy member 1, and g is the acceleration due to gravity.

[0120] The gravity of the submarine cable 100 and the buoyancy member 1 on the seawater is W;

[0121] W = (m1 + m2 + m3) * g;

[0122] Wherein, m1 is the mass of the submarine cable 100 per unit length, m2 is the mass of a single buoyancy element 1 itself, m3 is the mass of the air in the inflation cavity 13 of a single buoyancy element 1, and g is the acceleration due to gravity.

[0123] Further, the displacement V1 of the buoyancy member 1 is equal to the air volume V2 in the inflation chamber 13 of the buoyancy member 1, and m3 = ρ2*V2;

[0124] The submarine cable 100 and the buoyancy member 1 need to satisfy the following conditions for floating on the sea water at the same time:

[0125] F ≥ W;

[0126] That is, ρ1*V1*g≥(m1+m2+m3)*g;

[0127] That is, ρ1*V1≥m1+m2+m3=m1+m2+ρ2*V2=m1+m2+ρ2*V1;

[0128] Finally, we can conclude that V1≥(m1+m2) / (ρ1-ρ2);

[0129] That is, the theoretical inflation volume V ≥ (m1+m2) / (ρ1-ρ2).

[0130] Optionally, see Figure 1 The submarine cable laying device further comprises a detection member 8 provided on the submarine cable 100 or the buoyancy member 1, and the detection member 8 is used to detect the pressure value or the liquid level value. In step S12, the step of "judging whether the buoyancy of the buoyancy member 1 after launching into the water meets the preset conditions" comprises:

[0131] S121, obtaining the detection value of the detection element 8;

[0132] S122, judging whether the detection value of the detection member 8 reaches the set threshold value, if so, it is determined that the buoyancy of the buoyancy member 1 meets the preset condition; if not, continue to adjust the inflation amount of the buoyancy member 1.

[0133] In an optional embodiment, the detection member 8 can be a pressure sensor, which is arranged on the outer surface of the submarine cable 100. When the submarine cable 100 enters the water, if the pressure sensor can detect the pressure value, it indicates that the submarine cable 100 is underwater, there is water pressure, and the submarine cable 100 is not completely floating. If the pressure sensor cannot detect the pressure value or the detected pressure value is very small, it indicates that the submarine cable 100 is on the water surface. It can be determined that the submarine cable 100 is floating stably and the buoyancy of the buoyancy member 1 meets the preset conditions.

[0134] Among them, when it is determined that the buoyancy of the buoyancy member 1 does not meet the preset conditions, the adjustment amount of the inflation volume can be determined according to the detection value of the detection member 8. If the detection value is significantly different from the set threshold, the adjustment amount can be adaptively increased. If the detection value is slightly different from the set threshold, the adjustment amount can be reduced.

[0135] In another optional embodiment, the detection member 8 may also be a liquid level sensor. In this case, the detection member 8 may be arranged on the outer surface of the submarine cable 100 or the outer surface of the buoyancy member 1. When the liquid level sensor can detect the liquid level, it indicates that the buoyancy member 1 or the submarine cable 100 is located underwater. When the liquid level sensor cannot detect the liquid level, it can be determined that the submarine cable 100 is on the water surface and the buoyancy of the buoyancy member 1 meets the preset conditions.

[0136] Note that the above are only preferred embodiments of the present invention and the technical principles used. Those skilled in the art will understand that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments herein, and that various obvious changes, readjustments and substitutions can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, although the present invention has been described in more detail through the above embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and may include more other equivalent embodiments without departing from the concept of the present invention, and the scope of the present invention is determined by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A submarine cable laying device, characterized in that: include: A buoyancy member (1) is wrapped around the submarine cable (100) and has an air-filled cavity (13), wherein the air-filled cavity (13) has an air vent (14); An exhaust valve (2) is arranged at the vent (14) and is used to control the opening and closing of the vent (14); An inflation unit (3), wherein an inflation end of the inflation unit (3) is capable of being communicated with the vent (14) so ​​as to inflate the inflation cavity (13); A control module (4) is communicatively connected to the exhaust valve (2) and the inflation unit (3); the control module (4) can control the inflation unit (3) to inflate the inflation chamber (13) according to a preset inflation amount of the buoyancy member (1); and the control module (4) can control the buoyancy member (1) to exhaust air through the exhaust valve (2), so that the submarine cable (100) and the buoyancy member (1) are laid on the seabed along a preset path.

2. The submarine cable laying device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The buoyancy member (1) comprises a buoy structure sleeved outside the submarine cable (100), the buoy structure comprising an inner cylinder part (11) and an outer cylinder part (12) arranged coaxially, and a closed inflation chamber (13) is formed between the inner cylinder part (11) and the outer cylinder part (12); And / or, the buoyancy member (1) is made of a flexible material.

3. The submarine cable laying device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The buoyancy member (1) comprises a first half ring tube and a second half ring tube, the first half ring tube and the second half ring tube are spliced ​​and wrapped outside the submarine cable (100), and the first half ring tube and the second half ring tube both have the inflation cavity (13); Alternatively, the cross-section of the buoyancy member (1) is C-shaped.

4. The submarine cable laying device according to claim 1, characterized in that: A plurality of the buoyancy members (1) are provided, and the plurality of the buoyancy members (1) are arranged in sequence along the length direction of the cable (100), and two adjacent buoyancy members (1) are connected and fixed by a connecting member (5).

5. The submarine cable laying device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The buoyancy member (1) is provided with a fixing portion, and the connecting member (5) comprises a fixing ring, which is sleeved outside the submarine cable (100) and connected to the fixing portions of two adjacent buoyancy members (1); Alternatively, the buoyancy member (1) is provided with a fixing portion, the connecting member (5) comprises a binding belt, and the fixing portions of two adjacent buoyancy members (1) are bound and fixed by the binding belt.

6. The submarine cable laying device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The inflation unit (3) comprises an air pump, the output end of the air pump is connected to an inflation pipeline (31), an end of the inflation pipeline (31) away from the air pump is provided with an inflation plug, and the inflation plug can be sealed and plugged with the vent (14); And / or, the submarine cable laying device further comprises a traction device (6) and a transport device (7), the submarine cable (100) to be laid is placed on the transport device (7), and the traction device (6) is connected to the submarine cable (100) and is used to traction the submarine cable (100) to move along the preset path; And / or, the exhaust valve (2) is an electrically controlled valve.

7. A method for laying a submarine cable, characterized in that: Using the submarine cable laying device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, the submarine cable laying construction method comprises the following steps: Obtaining a preset inflation volume of the buoyancy member (1); Connecting the inflation end of the inflation unit (3) to the vent (14) of the buoyancy member (1); The control module (4) controls the inflation unit (3) to inflate the inflation chamber (13) according to a preset inflation amount; Laying the submarine cable (100) along a preset path until the laying of the submarine cable (100) is completed; The control module (4) controls the exhaust valve (2) to open, so that the buoyancy member (1) exhausts air through the vent (14), until the submarine cable (100) and the buoyancy member (1) are laid on the seabed along a preset path; The submarine cable (100) and the deflated buoyancy member (1) are buried along a preset path.

8. The method for laying a submarine cable according to claim 7, characterized in that: The submarine cable laying device comprises a plurality of buoyancy members (1), wherein the plurality of buoyancy members (1) are arranged in sequence along the length direction of the submarine cable (100); The step of "obtaining a preset inflation volume of the buoyancy member (1)" comprises: The theoretical inflation volume of a single buoyancy member (1) is determined according to the total weight of the submarine cable (100) and the single buoyancy member (1) per unit length; wherein the preset inflation volume of the first buoyancy member (1) launched into the water on the submarine cable (100) is the theoretical inflation volume, and the unit length is the length of the single buoyancy member (1); Determining whether the buoyancy of the buoyancy member (1) after launching into water meets a preset condition; If yes, then inflate each subsequent buoyancy member (1) with the theoretical inflation volume as the preset inflation volume; If not, the inflation volume is increased, and the adjusted inflation volume is used as the preset inflation volume to inflate the next buoyancy member (1) to be launched into the water; When it is detected that the buoyancy of the buoyancy member (1) after launching into the water meets a preset condition, each subsequent buoyancy member (1) is inflated using the inflation amount corresponding to the buoyancy member (1) as the preset inflation amount.

9. The method for laying a submarine cable according to claim 8, characterized in that: The step of "determining the theoretical inflation volume of a single buoyancy member (1) according to the total weight of the submarine cable (100) per unit length and a single buoyancy member (1)" comprises: Obtaining the mass m1 of the submarine cable (100) per unit length and the mass m2 of a single buoyancy element (1); Get the density of seawater ρ1 and the density of air ρ2; The theoretical inflation volume is calculated according to the following formula: V = (m1 + m2) / (ρ1 - ρ2); Among them, V is the theoretical inflation volume.

10. The method for laying a submarine cable according to claim 8, characterized in that: The submarine cable laying device further comprises a detection member (8) arranged on the submarine cable (100) or the buoyancy member (1), and the detection member (8) is used to detect a pressure value or a liquid level value; The step of "determining whether the buoyancy of the buoyancy member (1) after launching into water meets the preset conditions" comprises: Obtaining a detection value of a detection element (8); It is determined whether the detection value of the detection member (8) reaches a set threshold value. If so, it is determined that the buoyancy of the buoyancy member (1) meets the preset condition; if not, the inflation amount of the buoyancy member (1) is continuously adjusted.

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