High-precision submarine cable laying method and submarine cable laying device

Abstract

The invention relates to the field of submarine cable construction, and particularly discloses a high-precision submarine cable laying method and a submarine cable laying device.The high-precision submarine cable laying method comprises the steps that S1, an air route is input, and submarine cable laying air route information is input on a construction ship; s2, a calibration object is put, the calibration object is hoisted into the sea through a hoisting device on the construction ship, the calibration object is a sinking weight, and the calibration object vertically falls into the sea from the construction ship under the action of gravity; s3, submarine cables are laid, the workboat sails along the information input by the system, and the submarine cables are gradually laid to the seabed after passing through the calibration object; and S4, ending: after the submarine cable is laid to a final position, continuing to lay the submarine cable according to a designed route or cutting off the submarine cable according to requirements and putting the submarine cable into the seabed. According to the invention, the calibration object is thrown and is vertically suspended at the seabed position, when the submarine cable passes through the calibration object and is laid at the seabed, the position of the submarine cable is relatively stable, and the laying precision of the submarine cable can be effectively improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of submarine cable construction, and in particular to a high-precision submarine cable laying method and a submarine cable laying device. Background Art

[0002] Submarine cables, that is, undersea cables, are cables used for underwater power transmission and communication signal transmission. They connect the mainland, islands or undersea facilities for power transmission and data communication. With the development of marine resources and the global energy transformation, the demand for submarine cables in the fields of offshore wind power, cross-border power grids, etc. is increasing day by day, and their technological development and market scale are also constantly expanding.

[0003] In the related art, when laying submarine cables, a construction ship is usually used to transport the submarine cable to the sea area to be constructed, then an anchor is tied to the end of the submarine cable, and then the submarine cable together with the anchor is dropped to the seabed; then the construction ship sails along the route where the submarine cable is to be laid and gradually drops the submarine cable to the seabed.

[0004] It is found in actual construction that due to a certain distance between the construction ship and the seabed, as the construction ship moves, the submarine cable falls to the seabed obliquely. It is necessary to calculate the position of the submarine cable on the seabed based on the inclination of the submarine cable, the seawater depth, and the length of the submarine cable released; however, the seawater in the sea is flowing, and the flowing seawater will deflect the position of the submarine cable, affecting the laying accuracy of the submarine cable. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In a first aspect, this application provides a high-precision submarine cable laying method, including the following steps: S1. Enter the route. Enter the route information of the submarine cable laying on the construction ship. S2. Drop a calibration object. Use a hoisting device on the construction ship to lift and drop the calibration object into the sea. The calibration object is a heavy object that sinks to the bottom. Under the action of gravity, the calibration object vertically falls into the sea from the construction ship. S3. Lay the submarine cable. The construction ship sails along the information entered by the system and passes the submarine cable through the calibration object and then gradually lays it on the seabed. S4. Finish. After laying to the end position, the submarine cable will continue to be laid according to the designed route or cut off and dropped into the seabed as required.

[0006] By adopting the above technical solution, before laying the submarine cable, it is necessary to first drop a calibration object from the construction ship. The calibration object is a heavy object that sinks to the bottom and will hang vertically below the construction ship; the submarine cable will pass through the calibration object and then be laid on the seabed. The weight of the calibration object is very large and its position underwater is relatively stable. When the submarine cable passes through the calibration object, the position of the submarine cable is also relatively stable, thereby effectively improving the laying accuracy of the submarine cable.

[0007] Optionally, in step S2, when placing the calibration object, the calibration object needs to be suspended at a position 10-30 meters above the seabed.

[0008] By adopting the above technical solution and after continuous experiments, the calibration object is suspended 10-30 meters above the seabed, which allows for more accurate laying of submarine cables without excessive bending of the submarine cables.

[0009] Optionally, in step 2, an underwater cable laying machine is installed on the calibration object. During the process of placing the calibration object, the submarine cable first passes through the underwater cable laying machine, and then the submarine cable is gradually lowered into the sea following the calibration object.

[0010] By adopting the above technical solution, an underwater cable laying machine is installed on the marking object. When laying the submarine cable, the submarine cable must be laid through the underwater cable laying machine. This can make the submarine cable be transported outward more smoothly when passing through the marking object and can be controlled more accurately.

[0011] Optionally, in step S3, when laying the submarine cable, it is necessary to first pass the submarine cable through the underwater cable laying machine on the calibration object, then fix the anchor at the end of the submarine cable, and then drop the submarine cable together with the anchor to the seabed; in the process of laying the submarine cable, the underwater cable laying machine and the cable laying machine on the ship are required to output the submarine cable synchronously.

[0012] By adopting the above technical solution, during the process of laying the submarine cable, the underwater cable laying machine and the cable laying machine on the construction ship output the submarine cable synchronously, which can facilitate the calculation of the length of the submarine cable output and more accurately control the laying of the submarine cable.

[0013] Optionally, during the process of laying the submarine cable, the position of the submarine cable can be fine-tuned by rotating the cantilever of the lifting device; when the position needs to be adjusted significantly, it can be adjusted by moving the construction vessel.

[0014] In a second aspect, the present application provides a submarine cable laying device, comprising a frame, an underwater cable laying machine fixed on the frame, and a counterweight block installed on the frame, wherein the underwater cable laying machine is electrically connected to the cable laying machine on a construction vessel and operates in conjunction with each other.

[0015] By adopting the above technical solution, an underwater cable laying machine is arranged on the frame. When laying the submarine cable, the whole is dropped into the sea as a calibration object by the lifting device on the construction ship. The submarine cable laying device will sink vertically into the sea, and then the submarine cable will be laid by the underwater cable laying machine. Since the position of the submarine cable laying device is relatively stable and the counterweight is added, the whole will not float randomly with the sea water, thereby effectively improving the accuracy of submarine cable laying.

[0016] Optionally, guide wheels are provided on the frame corresponding to the input port and the output port of the underwater cable laying machine, and the guide wheels guide the submarine cable, maintain the curvature radius of the submarine cable and prevent the submarine cable from excessive bending.

[0017] By adopting the above technical solution, guide wheels are installed on the frame at the input and output ports of the underwater cable laying machine. The guide wheels can guide the input and output of the submarine cable to prevent the submarine cable from rubbing against other structures. At the same time, when the submarine cable passes through the guide wheel, the submarine cable will gradually bend into an arc along the outer contour of the guide wheel, thus preventing damage caused by excessive bending of the submarine cable.

[0018] Optionally, a pressure sensor for monitoring the tension of the submarine cable is installed on the frame at the underwater cable laying machine, and the pressure sensor is electrically connected to the underwater cable laying machine.

[0019] By adopting the above technical solution, a pressure sensor is set. The tension of the submarine cable is detected by the pressure sensor and the signal is fed back to the system. The system controls the laying rate of the underwater cable laying machine according to the data, so that the underwater cable laying machine and the cable laying machine on the ship can run synchronously. At the same time, it can prevent excessive tension of the submarine cable and cause damage.

[0020] Optionally, it further includes a boom and a driving rod arranged at the upper end of the frame. The boom is hinged to the frame and is used to connect the lifting device. Both ends of the driving rod are respectively rotatably connected to the boom and the frame, so that a triangle is formed among the driving rod, the boom and the frame, and the rotation axis of the driving rod is parallel to the rotation axis of the boom.

[0021] By adopting the above technical solution, the boom is connected to the frame, which is convenient for connecting the frame with the lifting device on the construction ship. A driving rod is connected between the frame and the boom. During the submarine cable laying process, the angle between the underwater cable laying machine and the seabed can be adjusted through the driving rod, so that the submarine cable between the underwater cable laying machine and the seabed is in a suitable arc, preventing damage caused by the bending arc of the submarine cable exceeding the limit.

[0022] Optionally, an underwater camera and a gyroscope are installed on the frame, and both the underwater camera and the gyroscope are electrically connected to the driving rod.

[0023] By adopting the above technical solution, the underwater camera and the gyroscope are set, and the state of the underwater cable laying machine can be detected in time, and the information is fed back to the system. The system controls the driving rod to adjust the angle of the underwater cable laying machine according to the situation, improving the laying accuracy of the submarine cable.

[0024] Optionally, a plurality of propellers are installed on the frame, and the propellers are electrically connected to the underwater camera and the gyroscope.

[0025] By adopting the above technical solution, propellers are installed on the frame. The system can control the rotation of the propellers according to the signals fed back by the underwater camera and the gyroscope, adjust the state of the frame and the underwater cable laying machine underwater, and further effectively improve the laying accuracy of the submarine cable.

[0026] In summary, the present application includes at least one of the following beneficial technical effects: 1. By adding the step of deploying calibration objects, before laying the submarine cable, it is necessary to first deploy calibration objects from the construction ship. The calibration objects are heavy objects that sink to the bottom. The calibration objects will hang below the construction ship, and the submarine cable will pass through the calibration objects and then be laid on the seabed. The weight of the calibration objects is very large and their positions underwater are relatively stable. When the submarine cable passes through the calibration objects, the position of the submarine cable is also relatively stable, thereby effectively improving the laying accuracy of the submarine cable; 2. By setting up a submarine cable laying device, an underwater cable laying machine is set on the frame. When laying the submarine cable, the whole is deployed into the sea as a calibration object through the lifting device on the construction ship. The submarine cable laying device will sink vertically into the sea, and then the underwater cable laying machine is used to lay the submarine cable. Since the position of the submarine cable laying device is relatively stable, and by adding counterweights, the whole will not float randomly with the sea water, thereby effectively improving the laying accuracy of the submarine cable; 3. By setting up an underwater camera, a gyroscope, and a driving rod, during the laying process of the submarine cable, the underwater camera and the gyroscope can timely detect the underwater conditions and the state of the underwater cable laying machine, and then feedback the information to the system. The system controls the driving rod to adjust the angle of the underwater cable laying machine according to the situation, improving the laying accuracy of the submarine cable. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] Figure 1 is the construction flow chart of the embodiment of the present application; Figure 2 is the schematic diagram of submarine cable laying of the embodiment of the present application; Figure 3 is the overall structure schematic diagram of the submarine cable laying device of the embodiment of the present application; Figure 4 is the front view of the submarine cable laying device of the embodiment of the present application.

[0028] Reference numerals: 1, frame; 11, boom; 12, driving rod; 13, guide wheel; 14, pressure sensor; 2, underwater cable laying machine; 3, counterweight block; 4, underwater camera; 5, gyroscope; 6, propeller; 7, construction ship; 71, lifting device; 8, anchor; 9, submarine cable; 10, calibration object. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0029] In the first aspect, an embodiment of the present application discloses a high-precision submarine cable laying method. Referring to Figure 1 and Figure 2 , the method includes the following steps: S1. Enter the route. Enter the route information of the submarine cable 9 laying on the construction ship 7. When laying the submarine cable 9, the construction ship 7 only needs to sail along the route.

[0030] S2. Place the calibration object. On the construction ship 7, use the lifting device 71 to lift the calibration object 10 and place it into the sea. The calibration object 10 is a heavy object that sinks to the bottom. When placing the calibration object 10, it is necessary to adjust the counterweight of the calibration object 10 according to various conditions such as the undersea undercurrent situation and the sea depth, so that the calibration object 10 can resist various undersea conditions and reduce the floating of the calibration object 10 in the sea.

[0031] Install the underwater cable laying machine 2 on the calibration object 10. Before placing the calibration object 10, it is necessary to connect the submarine cable 9 to the underwater cable laying machine 2, then fix the anchor 8 at the end of the submarine cable 9, and finally gradually place the anchor 8 and the submarine cable 9 to the seabed following the calibration object 10. The calibration object 10 hangs at a position 10 - 30 meters above the seabed. The underwater cable laying machine 2 will gradually lower the submarine cable 9 to the seabed, and the anchor 8 will fix the submarine cable 9 at the starting position.

[0032] S3. Lay the submarine cable. The construction ship 7 sails along the information entered into the system and gradually lays the submarine cable 9 to the seabed. During the process of laying the submarine cable 9, the underwater cable laying machine 2 and the cable laying machine on the construction ship 7 need to run synchronously to prevent the tension of the submarine cable 9 between the construction ship 7 and the calibration object 10 from being too high and damaging the submarine cable 9.

[0033] During the process of laying the submarine cable 9, when fine-tuning the position of the submarine cable 9, the position can be adjusted by rotating the cantilever of the lifting device 71 to drag the submarine cable 9; when a large adjustment of the position is required, the construction ship 7 needs to be started to drag the submarine cable 9 to move, thereby improving the laying accuracy of the submarine cable 9.

[0034] S4. Finalize. After laying to the end position, the submarine cable 9 will continue to be laid along the designed route or the submarine cable 9 will be cut according to requirements and dropped into the seabed.

[0035] The implementation principle of a high-precision submarine cable laying method disclosed in an embodiment of the present application is as follows: By placing the calibration object 10 on the construction ship 7, the calibration object 10 will hang below the construction ship 7; the submarine cable 9 will pass through the underwater cable laying machine 2 on the calibration object 10 and then be laid to the seabed. The calibration object 10 is very heavy and its position underwater is relatively stable. When the submarine cable 9 passes through the calibration object 10, the position of the submarine cable 9 is also relatively stable, thereby effectively improving the laying accuracy of the submarine cable 9.

[0036] In the second aspect, an embodiment of the present application discloses a submarine cable laying device. Referring to Figure 3 and Figure 4 , it includes a frame body 1, an underwater cable laying machine 2 fixed on the frame body 1, and a counterweight block 3. During construction, the frame body 1 is lifted by a lifting device on the construction ship and placed into the sea. Under the action of the counterweight block 3, the frame body 1 will hang vertically below the construction ship, and then the submarine cable is laid through the underwater cable laying machine 2, which can effectively improve the laying accuracy of the submarine cable.

[0037] Above the frame 1, a jib 11 is hingedly installed. On one side of the jib 11 close to the input port of the underwater cable laying machine 2, a driving rod 12 is installed. The driving rod 12 is set as a hydraulic rod. The two ends of the driving rod 12 are respectively hingedly connected to the frame 1 and the jib 11, so that a triangular connection is formed among the driving rod 12, the jib 11 and the frame 1. On the frame 1, monitoring components such as an underwater camera 4 and a gyroscope 5 are also installed. The underwater camera 4 and the gyroscope 5 are both electrically connected to the driving rod 12. After the frame 1 is dropped to the seabed, the underwater camera 4 and the gyroscope 5 will monitor the situation of the seabed and the attitude of the underwater cable laying machine 2, and feed back the signals to the system. The system issues instructions to the driving rod 12 according to the judgment, controls the driving rod 12 to extend or shorten, so as to adjust the angle between the underwater cable laying machine 2 and the seabed, and make the submarine cable be laid at a proper radian.

[0038] The underwater cable laying machine 2 is a crawler-type cable laying machine. The underwater cable laying machine 2 is installed in the middle position of the frame 1. During use, the submarine cable will pass through between the crawlers, and the submarine cable is conveyed externally through the crawlers; at both ends of the frame 1, a plurality of guide wheels 13 are installed at the input port and the output port of the underwater cable laying machine 2. When the submarine cable is input and output from the underwater cable laying machine 2, the submarine cable needs to be guided by the guide wheels 13 before being input or output from the underwater cable laying machine 2. Because the submarine cable has a minimum bending radius requirement, excessive bending of the submarine cable will cause damage. The guide wheels 13 can guide the submarine cable to prevent excessive bending of the submarine cable.

[0039] At both the input port and the output port of the underwater cable laying machine 2, pressure sensors 14 for monitoring the tension of the submarine cable are installed. During the cable laying process of the submarine cable, the pressure sensors 14 can monitor the tension of the submarine cable. During the cable laying process of the submarine cable, it is necessary for the underwater cable laying machine 2 to run synchronously with the cable laying machine on the construction ship. The pressure sensors 14 monitor the tension of the submarine cable from the construction ship to the underwater cable laying machine 2, and feed back the signals to the system. The system controls the running speed of the underwater cable laying machine 2 or the cable laying machine on the construction ship according to the need, adjusts the tension of the submarine cable, and prevents damage caused by excessive tension of the submarine cable.

[0040] A plurality of propellers 6 are evenly distributed on the frame 1. The propellers 6 are both electrically connected to the underwater camera 4 and the gyroscope 5. After the submarine cable laying device is dropped underwater, the state of the submarine cable laying device can be monitored through the underwater camera 4 and the gyroscope 5, and the signals are fed back to the system. The system controls the propellers 6 to rotate after judgment, adjusts the attitude of the submarine cable laying device, and improves the accuracy of submarine cable laying.

[0041] The implementation principle of the submarine cable laying device disclosed in the embodiments of the present application is as follows: By setting up the submarine cable laying device, when laying the submarine cable, the submarine cable laying device can be put into the sea as a calibration object, and then the underwater cable laying machine 2 and the cable laying machine on the construction ship cooperate to accurately lay the submarine cable on the seabed; before putting the submarine cable laying device into the sea, the counterweight 3 can be adjusted according to the sea water depth and the underwater undercurrent situation, which can reduce the influence of the underwater undercurrent on the submarine cable laying device at the seabed, reduce the swing of the submarine cable laying device underwater, and thus can effectively improve the accuracy of submarine cable laying.

[0042] The above are all the preferred embodiments of the present application, and the protection scope of the present application is not limited accordingly. Therefore, all equivalent changes made according to the structure, shape, and principle of the present application should be covered within the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A high-precision submarine cable laying method, characterized in that: The following steps are included: S1. Entering the route, on the construction vessel (7), entering the route information for laying the submarine cable (9); S2, placing the calibration object, using the lifting device (71) on the construction vessel (7) to lift the calibration object (10) into the sea. The calibration object (10) is a heavy object that sinks to the bottom. Under the action of gravity, the calibration object (10) falls vertically from the construction vessel (7) into the sea; S3, laying the submarine cable (9), the construction vessel (7) sails according to the information entered by the system, and passes the submarine cable (9) through the marking object (10) and then gradually lays it to the seabed; S4, finishing, after being laid to the terminal position, the submarine cable (9) will continue to be laid according to the designed route or the submarine cable (9) will be cut and thrown into the seabed according to requirements.

2. A high-precision submarine cable laying method according to claim 1, characterized in that: In step S2, when the calibration object (10) is placed, the calibration object (10) needs to be suspended at a position 10-30 meters above the seabed.

3. A high-precision submarine cable laying method according to claim 2, characterized in that: In step 2, an underwater cable laying machine (2) is installed on the calibrating object (10). During the process of placing the calibrating object (10), the submarine cable (9) first passes through the underwater cable laying machine (2), and then the submarine cable (9) is gradually lowered into the sea following the calibrating object (10).

4. A high-precision submarine cable laying method according to claim 3, characterized in that: In step S3, when laying the submarine cable (9), it is necessary to first pass the submarine cable (9) through the underwater cable laying machine (2) on the calibration object (10), then fix the anchor (8) at the end of the submarine cable (9), and then drop the submarine cable (9) together with the anchor (8) to the seabed; in the process of laying the submarine cable (9), it is necessary for the underwater cable laying machine (2) and the cable laying machine on the ship to synchronously output the submarine cable (9).

5. A high-precision submarine cable laying method according to claim 1, characterized in that: During the process of laying the submarine cable (9), the position of the submarine cable (9) can be fine-tuned by rotating the cantilever of the lifting device (71); when the position needs to be adjusted significantly, the adjustment is performed by moving the construction ship (7).

6. A submarine cable laying device designed based on the high-precision submarine cable laying method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: It comprises a frame (1), an underwater cable laying machine (2) fixed on the frame (1), and a counterweight (3) installed on the frame (1); the underwater cable laying machine (2) is electrically connected to the cable laying machine on the construction vessel and operates in conjunction with each other.

7. The submarine cable laying device according to claim 6, characterized in that: Guide wheels (13) are provided on the frame (1) at the input port and the output port corresponding to the underwater cable laying machine (2), and the guide wheels (13) guide the submarine cable, maintain the curvature radius of the submarine cable, and prevent the submarine cable from being excessively bent.

8. The submarine cable laying device according to claim 7, characterized in that: A pressure sensor (14) for monitoring the tension of a submarine cable is installed on the frame (1) at the underwater cable laying machine (2); the pressure sensor (14) is electrically connected to the underwater cable laying machine (2).

9. The submarine cable laying device according to claim 6, characterized in that: It also includes a boom (11) and a driving rod (12) arranged at the upper end of the frame (1); the boom (11) is hingedly connected to the frame (1) and is used to connect a lifting device; the two ends of the driving rod (12) are respectively rotatably connected to the boom (11) and the frame (1), so that the driving rod (12), the boom (11) and the frame (1) form a triangle, and the rotation axis of the driving rod (12) is parallel to the rotation axis of the boom (11).

10. The submarine cable laying device according to claim 9, characterized in that: An underwater camera (4) and a gyroscope (5) are installed on the frame (1), and the underwater camera (4) and the gyroscope (5) are both electrically connected to the driving rod (12).

11. The submarine cable laying device according to claim 10, characterized in that: A plurality of propellers (6) are installed on the frame (1), and the propellers (6) are electrically connected to the underwater camera (4) and the gyroscope (5).

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