Submarine cable

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of submarine cables and aims to solve the technical problem of poor heat dissipation performance of some submarine cables, and provides a submarine cable which comprises a central part, a first electric refrigeration assembly, a plurality of heat conduction assemblies, a plurality of electric units and a plurality of second electric refrigeration assemblies. The central part is provided with a cooling flow channel extending in the axial direction, and the cooling flow channel is filled with a cooling liquid. The first electric refrigeration assembly comprises a first cold end and a first hot end, the first hot end is arranged on the outer side of the central part and is used for heat exchange with the central part, and the first cold end is arranged on the radial outer side of the first hot end. The plurality of heat conduction assemblies are arranged on the radial outer side of the first cold end, the heat conduction assembly defines an installation channel extending in the axial direction, and the outer surface of the heat conduction assembly is in heat exchange with the first cold end. The second electric refrigeration assembly comprises a second cold end and a second hot end, the second cold end is arranged on the outer side of the plurality of heat conduction assemblies and is in heat exchange with the heat conduction assemblies, and the second hot end is arranged on the outer side of the second cold end. The application has the beneficial effect of improving the heat dissipation efficiency of the submarine cable.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of submarine cable technology, and more specifically, to submarine cables. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, with the deepening development of marine resources, submarine cables, as key equipment for power transmission and communication, are increasingly widely used. However, in the deep-sea environment, submarine cables face severe heat dissipation challenges. On the one hand, the heat dissipation conditions in the deep-sea environment are harsh, and traditional cooling methods relying on natural convection or simple heat conduction are inefficient and cannot meet the demands of high-power, long-distance power transmission. During long-term operation, the internal electrical units of the cable generate a large amount of heat. If this heat cannot be dissipated in time, it can easily cause localized overheating, accelerate the aging of insulation materials, increase the risk of short circuits or breakdowns, and seriously affect signal transmission stability and cable lifespan. On the other hand, the high-pressure environment of the deep sea places stringent requirements on the cable structure. The thermal expansion coefficients of the internal components and the external armor sheath often differ, and during temperature cycling, mechanical stress can easily occur due to thermal expansion mismatch, leading to contact failure or structural damage. Furthermore, existing thermoelectric cooling devices, when applied to submarine cables, often suffer from low heat dissipation efficiency due to high interfacial thermal resistance and uneven heat diffusion, making efficient thermal management difficult. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a submarine cable that can dissipate heat efficiently, has a stable structure, and is adaptable to the deep-sea environment. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This application provides submarine cables to solve the technical problem of poor heat dissipation in some submarine cables.

[0004] The embodiments of this application are implemented as follows: This application provides a submarine cable, comprising: a central member having an axially extending cooling channel filled with coolant; a first electrocooling assembly including a first cold end and a first hot end, the first hot end being disposed outside the central member and used for heat exchange with the central member, the first cold end being disposed radially outside the first hot end; a plurality of thermally conductive assemblies surrounding the radially outside the first cold end, the thermally conductive assemblies defining an axially extending mounting channel, the outer surface of the thermally conductive assemblies exchanging heat with the first cold end; a plurality of electrical units, each of the electrical units being disposed in the mounting channel of a corresponding thermally conductive assembly and contacting and exchanging heat with the thermally conductive assembly; and a second electrocooling assembly including a second cold end and a second hot end, the second cold end being disposed outside the plurality of thermally conductive assemblies and exchanging heat with the thermally conductive assemblies, the second hot end being disposed outside the second cold end and used for heat exchange with the external environment.

[0005] According to the submarine cable of this application, after the electrical unit transmits electricity and generates heat, the electrical unit supplies power to the first electrocooling component to cool the first cold end and heat the first hot end. The first hot end can exchange heat with the central component, which lowers the temperature of the first hot end. The first cold end exchanges heat with the electrical unit through a heat-conducting component to absorb a portion of the heat from the electrical unit. Thus, a portion of the heat from the electrical unit is conducted to the cooling channel of the central component through the heat-conducting component and the first cold end. Simultaneously, the electrical unit also exchanges heat with the second cold end through the heat-conducting component, allowing another portion of the heat from the electrical unit to be conducted to the external environment through the second cold end and the second hot end. This radially hierarchical heat exchange path achieves the step-by-step transfer and dissipation of heat, effectively solving the technical problem of heat accumulation and difficulty in heat dissipation in the deep-sea environment. This significantly improves the heat dissipation efficiency and temperature control capability of the submarine cable, ensuring its long-term stable operation in the deep-sea environment.

[0006] In one possible implementation: The second hot end has multiple clearance openings, and the submarine cable also includes multiple conductive elements. The multiple conductive elements are arranged around the outside of the first hot end. The conductive elements extend radially along the submarine cable. Each conductive element extends into the corresponding clearance opening. One end of the conductive element exchanges heat with the first hot end, and the other end of the conductive element contacts and exchanges heat with the second hot end. Between each pair of adjacent conductive elements, there is one heat-conducting component and one electrical unit.

[0007] In one possible implementation: The coolant includes a first phase change medium; The conductive element is provided with a conductive channel extending along its length; The submarine cable further includes a sheathing layer that covers the outer surface of the second hot end and defines an annular space that is connected to the cooling channel through the conduction channel.

[0008] In one possible implementation: The heat-conducting component includes a plurality of heat-conducting elements, which are arranged around the corresponding electrical unit. A portion of the heat-conducting elements are in contact with the first cold end, and another portion of the heat-conducting elements are in contact with the second cold end. The heat-conducting component is provided with a heat-conducting cavity, which is filled with a second phase change medium.

[0009] In one possible implementation: The heat-conducting assembly further includes a heat-conducting structure that extends along the axial direction of the submarine cable, and at least one heat-conducting structure is provided within the heat-conducting cavity of each heat-conducting component.

[0010] In one possible implementation: The heat-conducting structure includes a plurality of heat-conducting rods, which are arranged radially at intervals in the heat-conducting cavity; And / or, the heat-conducting structure includes multiple annular heat-conducting meshes, each annular heat-conducting mesh having multiple grids, the multiple grids being spaced apart from each other along the circumference of the annular heat-conducting meshes and the axial direction of the submarine cable; And / or, the heat-conducting structure includes a plurality of heat-conducting tubes, which are arranged radially at intervals in the heat-conducting cavity, and the cavity of the heat-conducting tubes is filled with a heat-conducting fluid.

[0011] In one possible implementation: The electrical unit includes a battery cell and an insulating layer, wherein the insulating layer is disposed on the outside of the battery cell; The heat-conducting component includes a base layer and a deformation layer. The base layer defines the heat-conducting cavity. The deformation layer is disposed on the outer surface of the base layer. The material of the deformation layer includes a nickel-titanium shape memory alloy and silver nanoparticles. The silver nanoparticles are dispersed in the nickel-titanium shape memory alloy.

[0012] In one possible implementation: The submarine cable also includes an armored sheath, which is disposed on the outer periphery of the second electrocooling component. The second electrocooling assembly includes multiple electrocooling modules, which are spaced apart circumferentially along the submarine cable. Each electrocooling module includes a connecting portion, a second cold end, and a second hot end. The connecting portions of two adjacent electrocooling modules are slidably connected to each other. The second cold end is located inside the connecting portion, and the second hot end is located outside the connecting portion.

[0013] In one possible implementation: In two adjacent connecting parts, one end of the connecting part is provided with an arc-shaped groove, and the other end of the connecting part is provided with an arc-shaped protrusion, the arc-shaped protrusion being slidably fitted into the arc-shaped groove.

[0014] In one possible implementation: The submarine cable also includes an armored sheath, which is disposed on the outer periphery of the second electrocooling component. The armored sheath forms a closed chamber, in which the central component, the first electrocooling component, the heat-conducting component, the electrical unit, and the second electrocooling component are all disposed. The closed chamber is filled with insulating heat-conducting oil, and the closed chamber is configured to be connected to a pressure compensation device to balance the pressure inside the closed chamber. Attached Figure Description

[0015] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings in the embodiments will be briefly described below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of this application and should not be regarded as a limitation of the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0016] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional view of a submarine cable according to an embodiment of this application.

[0017] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a second electrocooling component according to an embodiment of this application.

[0018] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a submarine cable according to an embodiment of this application from another perspective.

[0019] Explanation of key component symbols: 100. Submarine cables; 10. Central component; 11. Cooling channel; 20. First electrocooling component; 21. First cold end; 22. First hot end; 30. Thermally conductive component; 31. Thermally conductive part; 311. Thermally conductive cavity; 32. Thermally conductive structure; 40. Electrical unit; 41. Battery cell; 42. Insulation layer; 50. Second electrocooling component; 50a. Electrocooling module; 51. Second cold end; 52. Second hot end; 521. Clearance opening; 53. Connecting part; 531. Arc-shaped groove; 532. Arc-shaped protrusion; 60. Conducting component; 61. Conducting channel; 70. Covering layer; 71. Annular space; 80. Armored sheath; 81. Enclosed chamber; 90. Pressure compensation device; The following detailed description, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, will further illustrate this application. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments.

[0021] It should be noted that when a component is said to be "fixed to" another component, it can be directly on the other component or there may be an intervening component. When a component is said to be "connected to" another component, it can be directly connected to the other component or there may be an intervening component. When a component is said to be "set on" another component, it can be directly set on the other component or there may be an intervening component. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "left," "right," and similar expressions used in this document are for illustrative purposes only.

[0022] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. The terminology used herein in the specification of this application is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the application. The term "or / and" as used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0023] Some embodiments of this application are described in detail. Unless otherwise specified, the following embodiments and features can be combined with each other.

[0024] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown, this embodiment provides a submarine cable 100, including a central component 10, a first electrocooling assembly 20, a plurality of heat-conducting components 30, a plurality of electrical units 40, and a second electrocooling assembly 50. The central component 10 has an axially extending cooling channel 11 filled with coolant. The first electrocooling assembly 20 includes a first cold end 21 and a first hot end 22. The first hot end 22 is located outside the central component 10 and is used for heat exchange with the central component 10. The first cold end 21 is located radially outside the first hot end 22. A plurality of heat-conducting components 30 are arranged radially outside the first cold end 21, defining axially extending mounting channels. The outer surfaces of the heat-conducting components 30 exchange heat with the first cold end 21. Each electrical unit 40 is located in the mounting channel of a corresponding heat-conducting component 30 and contacts and exchanges heat with the heat-conducting component 30. The second electrocooling component 50 includes a second cold end 51 and a second hot end 52. The second cold end 51 is located on the outside of the plurality of heat-conducting components 30 and exchanges heat with the heat-conducting components 30. The second hot end 52 is located on the outside of the second cold end 51 and is used for heat exchange with the external environment.

[0025] According to the submarine cable 100 of this embodiment, after the electrical unit 40 transmits electricity and generates heat, the electrical unit 40 supplies power to the first electrocooling component 20 to cool the first cold end 21 and heat the first hot end 22. The first hot end 22 can exchange heat with the central component 10, and the central component 10 lowers the temperature of the first hot end 22. The first cold end 21 exchanges heat with the electrical unit 40 through the heat-conducting component 30 to absorb a portion of the heat from the electrical unit 40. Thus, a portion of the heat from the electrical unit 40 is conducted to the cooling channel 11 of the central component 10 through the heat-conducting component 30 and the first cold end 21. The electrical unit 40 also exchanges heat with the second cold end 51 through the heat-conducting component 30, allowing another portion of the heat from the electrical unit 40 to be conducted to the external environment through the second cold end 51 and the second hot end 52. The aforementioned radially hierarchical heat exchange path enables the step-by-step transfer and dissipation of heat, effectively solving the technical problem of heat accumulation in the electrical unit 40 in the deep-sea environment, significantly improving the heat dissipation efficiency and temperature control capability of the submarine cable 100, and ensuring the long-term stable operation of the submarine cable 100 in the deep-sea environment.

[0026] In some embodiments, the central component 10 may be a metal or alloy tube with good thermal conductivity, such as a titanium alloy tube or a copper tube. Coolant flows or is stored within the cooling channels 11 to absorb and remove heat. The material of the coolant can be selected according to actual heat dissipation requirements; for example, the coolant may be a fluid with high specific heat capacity, such as deionized water, an aqueous ethylene glycol solution, or insulating oil. In other embodiments, the cooling channels 11 inside the central component 10 may also be divided into multiple independent sub-channels to correspond to different heat source areas, as long as the heat absorption and transfer functions can be achieved.

[0027] In some embodiments, the first electrocooling component 20 operates based on the Peltier effect. When a portion of the current from the electrical unit 40 is conducted to the first electrocooling component 20, heat is pumped from the first cold end 21 to the first hot end 22. The first hot end 22 is in close contact with the outer wall of the central member 10, forming a tight conductive contact relationship between the first hot end 22 and the central member 10 to ensure that heat can be efficiently transferred from the first hot end 22 to the central member 10, and then carried away by the coolant in the cooling channel 11. The first cold end 21 can form an annular cooling release surface.

[0028] The first electrocooling component 20 can be a ring structure formed by splicing multiple thermoelectric cooling chips along the circumference, or it can be an integral ring thermoelectric ring.

[0029] In some embodiments, the material of the heat-conducting component 30 can be a medium with high thermal conductivity, such as aluminum alloy, graphite, or phase change composite material, to quickly absorb the heat generated by the electrical unit 40 and conduct it to the first cold end 21. Heat exchange between the heat-conducting component 30 and the first cold end 21 can be achieved through contact conduction. Furthermore, since the heat-conducting component 30 is arranged around the electrical unit 40, the heat from the electrical unit 40 can be conducted to the heat-conducting component 30 more uniformly in the circumferential direction, reducing the risk of local heat accumulation.

[0030] Optionally, thermal grease or a thermal pad may be provided between the thermally conductive component 30 and the first cold end 21 to reduce the contact thermal resistance between the thermally conductive component 30 and the first cold end 21.

[0031] In some embodiments, the second hot end 52 has multiple clearance openings 521, and the submarine cable 100 also includes multiple conductive elements 60. The multiple conductive elements 60 are arranged around the outside of the first hot end 22, and the conductive elements 60 extend radially along the submarine cable 100. Each conductive element 60 extends into a corresponding clearance opening 521. One end of the conductive element 60 exchanges heat with the first hot end 22, and the other end of the conductive element 60 contacts and exchanges heat with the second hot end 52. A heat-conducting component 30 and an electrical unit 40 are provided between every two adjacent conductive elements 60.

[0032] Thus, when a large amount of heat accumulates at one hot end, the heat can be directly transferred to the second hot end 52 through the conductive member 60. The larger heat dissipation area of ​​the second hot end 52 provides auxiliary heat dissipation, thereby sharing the heat load of the cooling channel 11 of the central component 10 and achieving multi-path heat transfer. Furthermore, the conductive member 60 passes through the clearance opening 521 and contacts the second hot end 52. This interlocking relationship provides radial positioning and support, enhancing the structural stability of the internal components of the submarine cable 100 and preventing radial misalignment during bending or compression.

[0033] In some embodiments, the coolant includes a first phase change medium. The conductive member 60 has a conductive channel 61 extending along its length. The submarine cable 100 also includes a sheathing layer 70, which covers the outer surface of the second hot end 52 and defines an annular space 71. The annular space 71 is connected to the cooling channel 11 via the conductive channel 61. The first phase change medium is a working fluid with a suitable boiling point, such as a low-boiling-point fluorinated liquid or ammonia. The operation of the submarine cable 100 in this embodiment is as follows: Within the cooling channel 11 of the central member 10, the first phase change medium absorbs heat transferred from the first hot end 22, its temperature rises, and it vaporizes, changing from a liquid to a gaseous state. Due to the reduced density of the vaporized medium, driven by pressure difference or capillary force, the gaseous medium flows radially outward through the conductive channel 61 inside the conductive member 60, eventually reaching the annular space 71 defined by the sheathing layer 70. The annular space 71 is close to the second hot end 52 or the external environment, where the temperature is relatively low. The gaseous first phase change medium releases heat and condenses at this point, transforming back into a liquid state. Under the influence of gravity or the capillary structure within the conduction channel 61, the liquid medium flows back to the cooling channel 11. The thermal conductivity of this first phase change medium is higher than that of traditional heat conduction methods, enabling rapid axial and radial heat transfer along the submarine cable 100, significantly improving the overall heat dissipation performance of the submarine cable 100.

[0034] In some embodiments, the heat-conducting assembly 30 includes a plurality of heat-conducting elements 31 arranged around a corresponding electrical unit 40. A portion of the heat-conducting elements 31 contacts the first cold end 21, and another portion contacts the second cold end 51. Each heat-conducting element 31 has a heat-conducting cavity 311 filled with a second phase change medium. The plurality of heat-conducting elements 31 can form a heat exchange environment uniformly arranged circumferentially along the electrical unit 40, ensuring that the heat generated by the electrical unit 40 can be uniformly dissipated circumferentially, avoiding the heat accumulation problem caused by unilateral heat dissipation. The second phase change medium can be a fatty acid ester organic phase change material, or paraffin, hydrated salt, etc. When the electrical unit 40 generates heat, the heat-conducting elements 31 absorb the heat and transfer it to the second phase change medium. The second phase change medium undergoes a solid-liquid or liquid-gas phase change when it reaches the phase change temperature, absorbing a large amount of heat, thereby absorbing the temperature fluctuations of the electrical unit 40 and conducting the heat to the first cold end 21 or the second cold end 51.

[0035] In some embodiments, the heat-conducting assembly 30 further includes a heat-conducting structure 32 extending axially along the seabed cable 100, and at least one heat-conducting structure 32 is provided in the heat-conducting cavity 311 of each heat-conducting element 31.

[0036] In this way, the heat can be conducted along the axial direction of the seabed cable 100 through the heat-conducting structure 32, thereby conducting heat in multiple directions and quickly directing the locally accumulated heat to the lower temperature areas on both sides of the axial direction, achieving a multi-directional and efficient heat conduction effect.

[0037] In some embodiments, the heat-conducting structure 32 includes a plurality of heat-conducting rods, which are arranged radially at intervals in the heat-conducting cavity 311.

[0038] The heat-conducting rods can be made of copper alloy or aluminum alloy, which have extremely high axial thermal conductivity. Multiple heat-conducting rods are arranged in an array within the heat-conducting cavity 311, which not only provides an efficient heat conduction path but also supports the structure of the heat-conducting cavity 311 to ensure the structural reliability of the heat-conducting component 31.

[0039] In some embodiments, the heat-conducting structure 32 includes a plurality of annular heat-conducting meshes, each annular heat-conducting mesh having a plurality of grids, the plurality of grids being spaced apart from each other along the circumference of the annular heat-conducting meshes and the axial direction of the submarine cable 100.

[0040] The annular heat-conducting mesh can be made of woven metal wire or foam metal structure. Its porous mesh structure greatly increases the contact area with the second phase change medium, enhancing the heat transfer efficiency at the solid-liquid interface. At the same time, the mesh structure can also guide the reflux of the liquid second phase change medium using capillary forces, optimizing the phase change cycle process.

[0041] In some embodiments, the heat-conducting structure 32 includes a plurality of heat-conducting pipes, which are arranged radially at intervals in the heat-conducting cavity 311, and the cavities of the heat-conducting pipes are filled with heat-conducting fluid.

[0042] When the heat-conducting component 31 is locally heated, the heat-conducting fluid in the heat-conducting pipe quickly vaporizes and carries away the heat, and condenses and flows back at the cold end, achieving an active heat conduction effect, which can be applied to heat dissipation scenarios with high heat flux density.

[0043] In some embodiments, the electrical unit 40 includes a battery cell 41 and an insulating layer 42, the insulating layer 42 being disposed on the outer side of the battery cell 41. The heat-conducting component 31 includes a base layer and a deformation layer, the base layer defining a heat-conducting cavity 311, the deformation layer being disposed on the outer surface of the base layer, the material of the deformation layer including a nickel-titanium shape memory alloy and silver nanoparticles, the silver nanoparticles being dispersed in the nickel-titanium shape memory alloy.

[0044] In the installation environment of the submarine cable 100, microscopic gaps often form between the heat-conducting component 31 and the first cold end 21 and the second cold end 51 due to the mismatch in their coefficients of thermal expansion, leading to a sharp increase in contact thermal resistance. The base material can be aluminum alloy or copper alloy to ensure structural strength. Nickel-titanium shape memory alloy has a unique shape memory effect and superelasticity. When the operating temperature of the electrical unit 40 increases, the nickel-titanium shape memory alloy undergoes a martensitic inverse phase transformation, driving the deformation layer to undergo micron-level volume expansion or shape change, and filling the microscopic gaps between the heat-conducting component 31 and the first cold end 21 and the second cold end 51. At the same time, the silver nanoparticles dispersed in the nickel-titanium shape memory alloy matrix have extremely high thermal conductivity and plastic deformation capacity. During the expansion of the deformation layer under pressure, the silver nanoparticles form highly thermally conductive microscopic pathways at the contact interface, further reducing the interfacial thermal resistance.

[0045] In some embodiments, the submarine cable 100 further includes an armored sheath 80 disposed on the outer periphery of the second electrocooling assembly 50. The second electrocooling assembly 50 includes a plurality of electrocooling modules 50a, which are circumferentially spaced along the submarine cable 100. Each electrocooling module 50a includes a connecting portion 53, a second cold end 51, and a second hot end 52. The connecting portions 53 of two adjacent electrocooling modules 50a are slidably connected to each other. The second cold end 51 is disposed inside the connecting portion 53, and the second hot end 52 is disposed outside the connecting portion 53.

[0046] The armor sheath 80, as the outermost protective structure of the submarine cable 100, can be woven and wound from high-strength steel wire or alloy materials to resist the high pressure of the deep sea and external mechanical impacts. During the operation of the submarine cable 100, the continuous heating of the electrical unit 40 causes the internal temperature of the cable to rise, while the external deep-sea environment has a lower and constant temperature. This temperature difference causes different degrees of thermal expansion in the various layers of the cable structure. If the second electrocooling component 50 adopts an integral structure, its coefficient of thermal expansion often differs from that of the internal heat-conducting component 30 and the external armor sheath 80. During thermal expansion and contraction, huge internal stress is easily generated, leading to cracking or delamination of the electrocooling material. By dividing the second electrocooling component 50 into multiple independent electrocooling modules 50a, each module can independently make small displacement adjustments, thereby effectively releasing thermal stress.

[0047] In some embodiments, in two adjacent connecting portions 53, one end of one connecting portion 53 is provided with an arc-shaped groove 531, and one end of the other connecting portion 53 is provided with an arc-shaped protrusion 532, the arc-shaped protrusion 532 being slidably fitted into the arc-shaped groove 531.

[0048] When the submarine cable 100 is affected by changes in external water pressure, bending due to its own weight, or internal thermal expansion and contraction, a slight relative displacement tendency will occur between adjacent electrocooling modules 50a. At this time, the arc-shaped protrusion 532 can slide slightly circumferentially within the arc-shaped groove 531. This sliding mechanism allows the electrocooling modules 50a to move relatively in the circumferential direction, thereby compensating for dimensional changes caused by mismatch in thermal expansion coefficients and preventing breakage or deformation at the connection due to stress concentration.

[0049] Between the mating surfaces of the arc-shaped groove 531 and the arc-shaped protrusion 532, a high-pressure-resistant, low-friction-coefficient thermally conductive medium, such as a boron nitride coating or a graphene coating, can be coated. When the arc-shaped protrusion 532 slides within the arc-shaped groove 531, the coating ensures stable contact between the second cold end 51 and the heat-conducting component 30, and between the second hot end 52 and the armor sheath 80. This structural design avoids contact surface separation due to structural deformation, ensuring that the second electrocooling component 50 can continuously and stably absorb heat from the heat-conducting component 30 and transfer it to the external environment. Simultaneously, this structural design enhances the overall flexibility of the submarine cable 100, enabling it to better adapt to changes in seabed topography during laying and operation, and reducing the risk of structural failure due to excessive bending.

[0050] Optionally, the cross-sectional shape of the arc groove 531 and the arc protrusion 532 is circular arc or trapezoidal, which has a better guiding effect.

[0051] In other embodiments, a combination of dovetail groove and dovetail block can be used, or a corrugated tube-type flexible connection structure can be used.

[0052] In some embodiments, the submarine cable 100 further includes an armored sheath 80, which is disposed on the outer periphery of the second electrocooling component 50. The armored sheath 80 encloses a closed chamber 81, in which the central component 10, the first electrocooling component 20, the heat-conducting component 30, the electrical unit 40, and the second electrocooling component 50 are all disposed. The closed chamber 81 is filled with insulating heat-conducting oil, and the closed chamber 81 is configured to connect to a pressure compensation device 90 to balance the pressure inside the closed chamber 81.

[0053] The deep-sea environment has high hydrostatic pressure, which varies with water depth. If the submarine cable 100 is kept under normal or low pressure, the huge pressure difference between the inside and outside will cause the cable structure to collapse or lead to seal failure and seawater intrusion. In this embodiment, a robust closed chamber 81 is constructed through the armored sheath 80 to encapsulate the core components and improve their protection. The armored sheath 80 can be made of high-strength stainless steel or titanium alloy wire braiding, which has extremely high radial compressive strength and axial tensile strength. The insulating thermally conductive oil, as an insulating medium, can effectively prevent electrical breakdown between the electrical unit 40 and the outer metal sheath, improving the electrical safety of the cable. At the same time, the insulating thermally conductive oil has good fluidity and can transfer the heat emitted from the second hot end 52 to the armored sheath 80 through natural convection or forced convection, further assisting in heat dissipation. In addition, the insulating thermally conductive oil, as a pressure transmission medium, can evenly transfer the external seawater pressure to various components inside the cable, avoiding local stress concentration.

[0054] The pressure compensation device 90 can be a flexible metal bellows compensator or a piston accumulator.

[0055] For example, in the case where the pressure compensation device 90 is a flexible metal bellows type compensator, one end is connected to the closed chamber 81, and the other end is directly exposed to the external seawater environment. The bellows has a retractable corrugated shell, filled with the same insulating heat-conducting oil as the closed chamber 81, and pre-charged with inert gas at a certain pressure. When the submarine cable 100 descends to the deep sea, the external seawater pressure increases, compressing the bellows and forcing the insulating heat-conducting oil inside the bellows into the closed chamber 81, thereby increasing the pressure inside the closed chamber 81 and maintaining its balance with the external seawater pressure. Conversely, when the cable rises or the ambient pressure decreases, the bellows extends under the action of internal air pressure, absorbing some of the oil in the closed chamber 81 to maintain internal and external pressure balance. This dynamic pressure balance mechanism ensures that the internal components of the submarine cable 100 are always in a relatively stable pressure environment within a water depth range of several thousand meters, effectively preventing structural deformation, sealing failure, or damage to electrocooling components caused by pressure differences, and greatly improving the reliability and service life of deep-sea operations.

[0056] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application and are not intended to limit it. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the above preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions to the technical solutions of this application should not depart from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of this application.

Claims

1. A submarine cable, characterized in that, include: A central component, wherein the central component is provided with an axially extending cooling channel, the cooling channel being filled with coolant; A first electrocooling assembly, comprising a first cold end and a first hot end, wherein the first hot end is disposed outside the central component and is used for heat exchange with the central component, and the first cold end is disposed radially outside the first hot end. Multiple thermally conductive components are arranged radially outside the first cold end, the thermally conductive components defining an axially extending mounting channel, and the outer surface of the thermally conductive components exchanging heat with the first cold end. Multiple electrical units, each of which is disposed in the mounting channel of the corresponding heat-conducting component and contacts and exchanges heat with the heat-conducting component; The second electrothermal cooling component includes a second cold end and a second hot end. The second cold end is located outside the plurality of heat-conducting components and exchanges heat with the heat-conducting components. The second hot end is located outside the second cold end and is used for heat exchange with the external environment.

2. The submarine cable according to claim 1, characterized in that: The second hot end has multiple clearance openings, and the submarine cable also includes multiple conductive elements. The multiple conductive elements are arranged around the outside of the first hot end. The conductive elements extend radially along the submarine cable. Each conductive element extends into the corresponding clearance opening. One end of the conductive element exchanges heat with the first hot end, and the other end of the conductive element contacts and exchanges heat with the second hot end. Between each pair of adjacent conductive elements, there is one heat-conducting component and one electrical unit.

3. The submarine cable according to claim 2, characterized in that: The coolant includes a first phase change medium; The conductive element is provided with a conductive channel extending along its length; The submarine cable further includes a sheathing layer that covers the outer surface of the second hot end and defines an annular space that is connected to the cooling channel through the conduction channel.

4. The submarine cable according to claim 1, characterized in that: The heat-conducting component includes a plurality of heat-conducting elements, which are arranged around the corresponding electrical unit. A portion of the heat-conducting elements are in contact with the first cold end, and another portion of the heat-conducting elements are in contact with the second cold end. The heat-conducting component is provided with a heat-conducting cavity, which is filled with a second phase change medium.

5. The submarine cable according to claim 4, characterized in that: The heat-conducting assembly further includes a heat-conducting structure that extends along the axial direction of the submarine cable, and at least one heat-conducting structure is provided within the heat-conducting cavity of each heat-conducting component.

6. The submarine cable according to claim 5, characterized in that: The heat-conducting structure includes a plurality of heat-conducting rods, which are arranged radially at intervals in the heat-conducting cavity; And / or, the heat-conducting structure includes multiple annular heat-conducting meshes, each annular heat-conducting mesh having multiple grids, the multiple grids being spaced apart from each other along the circumference of the annular heat-conducting meshes and the axial direction of the submarine cable; And / or, the heat-conducting structure includes a plurality of heat-conducting tubes, which are arranged radially at intervals in the heat-conducting cavity, and the cavity of the heat-conducting tubes is filled with a heat-conducting fluid.

7. The submarine cable according to claim 4, characterized in that: The electrical unit includes a battery cell and an insulating layer, wherein the insulating layer is disposed on the outside of the battery cell; The heat-conducting component includes a base layer and a deformation layer. The base layer defines the heat-conducting cavity. The deformation layer is disposed on the outer surface of the base layer. The material of the deformation layer includes a nickel-titanium shape memory alloy and silver nanoparticles. The silver nanoparticles are dispersed in the nickel-titanium shape memory alloy.

8. The submarine cable according to claim 1, characterized in that: The submarine cable also includes an armored sheath, which is disposed on the outer periphery of the second electrocooling component. The second electrocooling assembly includes multiple electrocooling modules, which are spaced apart circumferentially along the submarine cable. Each electrocooling module includes a connecting portion, a second cold end, and a second hot end. The connecting portions of two adjacent electrocooling modules are slidably connected to each other. The second cold end is located inside the connecting portion, and the second hot end is located outside the connecting portion.

9. The submarine cable according to claim 8, characterized in that: In two adjacent connecting parts, one end of the connecting part is provided with an arc-shaped groove, and the other end of the connecting part is provided with an arc-shaped protrusion, the arc-shaped protrusion being slidably fitted into the arc-shaped groove.

10. The submarine cable according to claim 1, characterized in that: The submarine cable also includes an armored sheath, which is disposed on the outer periphery of the second electrocooling component. The armored sheath forms a closed chamber, in which the central component, the first electrocooling component, the heat-conducting component, the electrical unit, and the second electrocooling component are all disposed. The closed chamber is filled with insulating heat-conducting oil, and the closed chamber is configured to be connected to a pressure compensation device to balance the pressure inside the closed chamber.

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