Dynamic submarine optical cable

Abstract

A dynamic submarine cable, comprising a cable core, a cabling tape wrapping layer, an inner sheath, an armor layer, and an outer sheath. The cable core comprises wire cores and filling members. A filling member is arranged between each two adjacent wire cores and the cabling tape wrapping layer. A first abutting portion, a second abutting portion, and a third abutting portion of the filling member are arc-shaped, the first abutting portion and the second abutting portion are attached to the two wire cores adjacent thereto, and the third abutting portion is attached to the cabling tape wrapping layer. Each wire core comprises a conductor, a conductor shielding layer, an insulating layer, an insulating shielding layer, a first water blocking tape wrapping layer, a metal composite fiber shielding layer, a second water blocking tape wrapping layer, and an inner protective layer. According to the dynamic submarine cable, a cavity is filled by means of the filling members, so that the cross-sectional shape of the cable core is close to a circle; and the metal composite fiber shielding layer has better fatigue resistance than existing shielding structures, thereby solving the problems in the prior art of poor roundness of dynamic cables and poor fatigue resistance of shielding structures.

Description

Dynamic submarine cables

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the China Patent Office on December 5, 2023, with application number 202311656351.3 and application name “Dynamic Submarine Cable”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the technical field of dynamic submarine cables, and in particular to a dynamic submarine cable. Background Art

[0003] In recent years, offshore fixed wind power development has reached saturation, with approximately 80% of offshore wind energy resources located in waters 60 meters or deeper. Furthermore, offshore resources are of great strategic importance, making floating offshore wind platforms an inevitable trend in the future development of offshore wind power. Floating wind turbines are already meeting the requirements for large-scale application. According to GWEC forecasts, the global planned floating offshore wind power capacity exceeds 120 GW, and the cumulative installed capacity is expected to reach 18.9 GW by 2030. As the floating wind power industry scales up and its clusters expand, the demand for dynamic cables for floating wind turbines is also growing.

[0004] Conventional dynamic cables currently use copper wire shielding, copper tape shielding, or a combination of the two to carry short-circuit currents and balance electric fields. However, these shielding structures are prone to copper wire breakage and copper tape tearing during operation and fatigue testing, resulting in poor fatigue resistance and failing to meet actual usage requirements. Furthermore, conventional dynamic cables currently use a combination of round PE strips and PP ropes for cable filling. This results in poor roundness and significant angularity or deformation after extrusion of the inner sheath, impacting the sealing and installation of subsequent accessories.

[0005] Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present invention provides a dynamic submarine cable, which is used to solve the problems of poor roundness of the dynamic cable and poor fatigue resistance of the shielding structure in the prior art.

[0007] The present invention provides a dynamic submarine cable, comprising a cable core, a cable wrapping layer, an inner sheath, an armor layer and an outer sheath, which are arranged in sequence from the inside to the outside;

[0008] The cable core includes a plurality of conductor cores and a plurality of filling pieces, the plurality of conductor cores and the plurality of filling pieces are twisted into a cable, a cavity is formed between any two adjacent conductor cores and the cable wrapping tape wrapping layer, the plurality of filling pieces are arranged in the plurality of cavities in a one-to-one correspondence, the filling piece has a first abutting portion, a second abutting portion and a third abutting portion, the first abutting portion and the second abutting portion are both connected to the third abutting portion, the first abutting portion, the second abutting portion and the third abutting portion are all arc-shaped, the first abutting portion and the second abutting portion are respectively in one-to-one correspondence with the two adjacent conductor cores of the filling piece, and the third abutting portion is in a one-to-one correspondence with the inner side of the cable wrapping tape wrapping layer;

[0009] The conductor core comprises a conductor, a conductor shielding layer, an insulating layer, an insulating shielding layer, a first water-blocking tape wrapping layer, a metal composite fiber shielding layer, a second water-blocking tape wrapping layer and an inner protective layer which are arranged in sequence from the inside to the outside.

[0010] According to the dynamic submarine cable provided by the present invention, the dynamic submarine cable further includes an optical unit, at least one of the filling pieces has an accommodating cavity, and the optical unit is disposed in the accommodating cavity.

[0011] According to the dynamic submarine cable provided by the present invention, the filling piece has an opening, and the opening is communicated with the accommodating cavity.

[0012] According to the dynamic submarine cable provided by the present invention, the filling member is a hollow structure, the filling member has a reinforcement member, and the third abutting portion is respectively connected to the first abutting portion and the second abutting portion through the reinforcement member.

[0013] According to the dynamic submarine cable provided by the present invention, the compressive strength of the filling piece is ≥3000N.

[0014] According to the dynamic submarine cable provided by the present invention, the thickness of the metal composite fiber shielding layer is 0.3-0.5 mm, the braiding density is ≥90%, the pitch is 50-500 mm, and the inner diameter is 20-150 mm.

[0015] According to the dynamic submarine cable provided by the present invention, the metal composite fiber shielding layer is woven from metal composite fibers, and the metal composite fiber shielding layer is in a mesh shape.

[0016] According to the dynamic submarine cable provided by the present invention, the diameter of the metal composite fiber is 0.1-1 mm, and the tensile strength is ≥5 kg; at 20° C., the resistance of the metal composite fiber is ≤0.5 Ω / m.

[0017] According to the dynamic submarine cable provided by the present invention, the metal composite fiber includes a central wire and metal wires, and the metal wires are wound around the central wire.

[0018] According to the dynamic submarine cable provided by the present invention, the material of the central wire includes aramid, nylon or carbon fiber; the material of the metal wire includes pure copper wire, tinned copper wire or aluminum alloy wire.

[0019] The dynamic submarine cable of the present invention twists the filler with the conductor core together, so that the filler is used to fill the cavity formed between the adjacent conductor cores and the cable wrapping layer. The filler is tightly fitted with the two adjacent conductor cores through the first abutment portion and the second abutment portion, thereby fully filling the cavity. The filler and the conductor core limit each other, and the third abutment portion is also arc-shaped, so that the cross-sectional shape of the cable core formed by twisting the filler and the conductor core is as close to a circle as possible, thereby improving the roundness; secondly, the meshed metal composite fiber shielding layer is used as the shielding structure, which has better tensile strength and fatigue resistance than the existing shielding structure, effectively solving the problems of poor roundness of the dynamic cable and poor fatigue resistance of the shielding structure in the prior art. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the present invention or the prior art, a brief introduction is given below to the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0021] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a first cross-sectional structure of a dynamic submarine cable provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of a second cross-sectional structure of a dynamic submarine cable provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of a third cross-sectional structure of a dynamic submarine cable provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of a conductor core provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of a metal composite fiber shielding layer provided by an embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Reference numerals:

[0027] 1. Cable core; 11. Conductor core; 111. Conductor; 112. Conductor shielding layer; 113. Insulation layer; 114. Insulation shielding layer; 115. First water-blocking tape wrapping layer; 116. Metal composite fiber shielding layer; 117. Second water-blocking tape wrapping layer; 118. Inner sheath; 12. Filler; 121. First abutting portion; 122. Second abutting portion; 123. Third abutting portion; 124. Reinforcement member;

[0028] 2. Cable wrapping layer; 3. Inner sheath;

[0029] 4. Armor layer; 41. Inner armor layer; 42. Armor cushion layer; 43. Outer armor layer; 44. Outer armor wrapping layer;

[0030] 5. Outer sheath; 6. Optical unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present invention more clear, the technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the embodiments described are only some of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of them. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts shall fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0032] In the description of the embodiments of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise specified or limited, the terms "connected" and "connection" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they can refer to fixed connections, detachable connections, or integral connections; mechanical connections, electrical connections; and direct connections or indirect connections through an intermediary. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the embodiments of the present invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0033] In the description of the embodiments of the present invention, it should be noted that the terms "center", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", etc. indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of the present invention and for simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they cannot be understood as limitations on the embodiments of the present invention.

[0034] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of the technical features being referred to. Thus, a feature identified as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the present invention, "plurality" means two or more, unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0035] The dynamic submarine cable of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG. 1 to FIG. 5 .

[0036] As shown in Figures 1 to 5, a dynamic submarine cable comprises a cable core 1, a cable wrapping layer 2, an inner sheath 3, an armor layer 4 and an outer sheath 5 arranged in sequence from the inside to the outside; the cable core 1 comprises a plurality of conductor cores 11 and a plurality of fillers 12, the plurality of conductor cores 11 and the plurality of fillers 12 are twisted into a cable, and a cavity is formed between any two adjacent conductor cores 11 and the cable wrapping layer 2, and the plurality of fillers 12 are arranged in the plurality of cavities in a one-to-one correspondence, and the filler 12 has a first abutting portion 121, a second abutting portion 122 and a third abutting portion 123, and the first abutting portion 121 and the second abutting portion 122 are both in contact with The third abutment 123 is connected, the first abutment 121, the second abutment 122 and the third abutment 123 are all arc-shaped, the first abutment 121 and the second abutment 122 are respectively fitted with the two adjacent wire cores 11 of the filler 12 in a one-to-one correspondence, and the third abutment 123 is fitted with the inner side of the cable wrapping layer 2; the wire core 11 includes a conductor 111, a conductor shielding layer 112, an insulating layer 113, an insulating shielding layer 114, a first water-blocking tape wrapping layer 115, a metal composite fiber shielding layer 116, a second water-blocking tape wrapping layer 117 and an inner protective layer 118 arranged in sequence from the inside to the outside.

[0037] Specifically, there are three conductor cores 11 and three fillers 12. After the three conductor cores 11 are twisted together, a depression will be formed between them, and a cavity will be formed between the depression and the cable wrapping layer 2. The three fillers 12 are used to fill the cavity between the three conductor cores 11. The shape of the filler 12 is approximately fan-shaped. The first abutment portion 121 and the second abutment portion 122 of the filler 12 are both arc-shaped, so that the first abutment portion 121 and the second abutment portion 122 can fit tightly with the conductor cores 11, thereby fully filling the cavity between the multiple conductor cores 11 and preventing the conductor cores 11 from shifting. The third abutment portion 123 is also arc-shaped, so that the cross-sectional shape of the cable core 1 formed by twisting multiple conductor cores 11 and multiple fillers 12 together is as close to a circle as possible. The material of the filler 12 includes but is not limited to high-density polyethylene, medium-density polyethylene, linear low-density polyethylene or polypropylene.

[0038] The conductor 111 is formed by twisting monofilaments, and water-blocking tape or water-blocking glue is filled during twisting to meet the water-blocking requirements of 4000m water depth. The monofilament can be a copper monofilament. The conductor shielding layer 112 and the insulating shielding layer 114 can both be made of polyethylene. The insulating layer 113 is made of cross-linked polyethylene. The first water-blocking tape wrapping layer 115 and the second water-blocking tape wrapping layer 117 are both formed by wrapping semi-conductive water-blocking tape. The metal composite fiber shielding layer 116 is mesh-shaped and is woven from multiple metal composite fibers. The inner protective layer 118 is extruded on the second water-blocking tape wrapping layer 117. The material of the inner protective layer 118 includes but is not limited to high-density polyethylene, medium-density polyethylene, linear low-density polyethylene or polyurethane, etc., to ensure the equipotential and longitudinal water-blocking properties of the metal composite fiber shielding layer 116 and the inner protective layer 118.

[0039] The dynamic submarine cable of the present invention twists the filler 12 with the conductor core 11 so that the filler 12 is used to fill the cavity formed between the adjacent conductor cores 11 and the cable wrapping layer 2. The filler 12 is tightly fitted with the two adjacent conductor cores 11 through the first abutment portion 121 and the second abutment portion 122, thereby fully filling the cavity. The filler 12 and the conductor core 11 limit each other, and the third abutment portion 123 is also arc-shaped, so that the cross-sectional shape of the cable core 1 formed by twisting the filler 12 and the conductor core 11 is as close to a circle as possible, thereby improving the roundness. Secondly, the meshed metal composite fiber shielding layer 116 is used as the shielding structure, which has better tensile strength and fatigue resistance than the existing shielding structure, effectively solving the problems of poor roundness of the dynamic cable and poor fatigue resistance of the shielding structure in the prior art.

[0040] In some embodiments, the cabling tape wrap 2 is made of materials including, but not limited to, rubberized cotton tape, PBT (polybutylene terephthalate) tape, or polyester braid. After the recesses between the conductor cores 11 are filled with filler 12, the cabling tape should have a roundness of no less than 8%. The inner sheath 3 is extruded over the cabling tape wrap 2. The materials of the inner sheath 3 and outer sheath 5 include, but are not limited to, high-density polyethylene, medium-density polyethylene, linear low-density polyethylene, or polyurethane.

[0041] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, in some embodiments, the armor layer 4 includes, arranged from inside to outside, an inner armor layer 41, an armor pad 42, an outer armor layer 43, and an outer armor wrap 44. The inner armor layer 41 and the outer armor layer 43 are both wound from galvanized steel wire, and the inner armor layer 41 and the outer armor layer 43 are wound in opposite directions to improve the dynamic submarine cable's resistance to lateral pressure and fatigue. The armor pad 42 is used to separate the inner armor layer 41 and the outer armor layer 43, and the outer armor wrap 44 is used to wrap the outer armor layer 43. The materials of the armor pad 42 and the outer armor wrap 44 include, but are not limited to, PBT tape, PET tape, or rubberized cotton tape.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 3 , in some embodiments, the dynamic submarine cable further includes an optical unit 6 , and at least one filler 12 has an accommodating cavity, and the optical unit 6 is disposed in the accommodating cavity.

[0043] Specifically, by arranging the optical unit 6 in the accommodating cavity, the filler 12 can separate the optical unit 6 from other components, thereby preventing the optical unit 6 from being damaged. The optical unit 6 does not occupy additional space, making the structure of the dynamic submarine cable more compact.

[0044] In some embodiments, the optical unit 6 includes an optical fiber, a stainless steel tube, a PE inner sheath, a steel wire armor layer, and a PE outer sheath, which are sequentially arranged from the inside to the outside. There may be multiple optical units 6 .

[0045] As shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 3 , in some embodiments, the filling piece 12 has an opening, and the opening is communicated with the accommodating cavity.

[0046] Specifically, an opening communicating with the accommodating cavity is provided on the filler 12 to facilitate placement of the optical unit 6 within the accommodating cavity. The opening can face either the inside or the outside of the cable core 1. The opening is slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the optical unit 6 to prevent it from escaping from the accommodating cavity. When placing the optical unit 6, the filler 12 and / or the optical unit 6 can be slightly deformed by an external force, allowing the optical unit 6 to pass through the opening and enter the accommodating cavity.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 , in some embodiments, the filling member 12 is a hollow structure and has a reinforcement member 124 . The third abutting portion 123 is respectively connected to the first abutting portion 121 and the second abutting portion 122 through the reinforcement member 124 .

[0048] Specifically, providing the filler 12 with a hollow structure helps save material while providing more space inside the filler 12 for accommodating components such as the light unit 6. Secondly, providing the reinforcement 124 prevents deformation of the filler 12, thereby compensating for the reduced strength of the hollow filler 12.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 3 , in some other embodiments, the filling piece 12 is a solid structure, and the light unit 6 is embedded in the filling piece 12 .

[0050] In some embodiments, the compressive strength of the filler 12 is ≥3000N. The filler 12 is suitable for a cable core 1 with an outer diameter of 20-150 mm. The filler 12 can accommodate an optical unit 6 with an outer diameter of 5-35 mm.

[0051] In some embodiments, the metal composite fiber shielding layer 116 has a thickness of 0.3-0.5 mm, a braiding density ≥ 90%, a pitch of 50-500 mm, and an inner diameter of 20-150 mm, which can adapt to the requirements of cable cores 1 with different cross-sectional sizes.

[0052] In some embodiments, the metal composite fiber has a diameter of 0.1-1 mm and a tensile strength of ≥5 kg; and a resistance of the metal composite fiber at 20° C. of ≤0.5 Ω / m.

[0053] In some embodiments, the metal composite fiber includes a central wire and metal wires wound around the central wire.

[0054] Specifically, the material of the central wire includes but is not limited to aramid, nylon or carbon fiber; the material of the metal wire includes but is not limited to pure copper wire, tinned copper wire or aluminum alloy wire. The metal wire is spirally wound around the central wire to obtain a metal composite fiber. The metal wire can be one or more wires, and the materials of multiple metal wires of the same metal composite fiber are allowed to be different. The metal composite fiber is composed of at least two different materials, so that its tensile strength and fatigue resistance are better.

[0055] The metal composite fiber shielding layer 116 can be obtained by weaving a plurality of metal composite fibers into a mesh shape using a braiding machine or other components.

[0056] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, rather than to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or make equivalent replacements for some of the technical features therein. However, these modifications or replacements do not deviate the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the various embodiments of the present invention.

[0057] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any modifications or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present invention should be included in the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A dynamic submarine cable, characterized in that: It includes a cable core, a cable wrapping layer, an inner sheath, an armor layer and an outer sheath which are arranged in sequence from the inside to the outside; The cable core comprises a plurality of conductor cores and a plurality of fillers, the plurality of conductor cores and the plurality of fillers are twisted into a cable, a cavity is formed between any two adjacent conductor cores and the cable wrapping tape sheath, the plurality of fillers are arranged in the plurality of cavities in a one-to-one correspondence, the filler has a first abutment portion, a second abutment portion and a third abutment portion, the first abutment portion and the second abutment portion are both connected to the third abutment portion, the first abutment portion, the second abutment portion and the third abutment portion are all in arc shape, the first abutment portion and the second abutment portion are respectively in one-to-one correspondence with the two adjacent conductor cores of the filler, and the third abutment portion is in abutment with the inner side of the cable wrapping tape sheath; The conductor core comprises a conductor, a conductor shielding layer, an insulating layer, an insulating shielding layer, a first water-blocking tape wrapping layer, a metal composite fiber shielding layer, a second water-blocking tape wrapping layer and an inner protective layer which are arranged in sequence from inside to outside.

2. The dynamic submarine cable according to claim 1, characterized in that: The dynamic submarine cable further comprises an optical unit, at least one of the filling pieces comprises an accommodating cavity, and the optical unit is arranged in the accommodating cavity.

3. The dynamic submarine cable according to claim 2, characterized in that: The filling piece has an opening, and the opening is communicated with the accommodating cavity.

4. The dynamic submarine cable according to claim 2, characterized in that: The filling piece is a hollow structure, and the filling piece has a reinforcement piece, and the third abutting portion is respectively connected to the first abutting portion and the second abutting portion through the reinforcement piece.

5. The dynamic submarine cable according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The compressive strength of the filling piece is ≥3000N.

6. The dynamic submarine cable according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The metal composite fiber shielding layer has a thickness of 0.3-0.5 mm, a weaving density of ≥90%, a pitch of 50-500 mm, and an inner diameter of 20-150 mm.

7. The dynamic submarine cable according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The metal composite fiber shielding layer is woven from metal composite fibers and is in a mesh shape.

8. The dynamic submarine cable according to claim 7, characterized in that: The diameter of the metal composite fiber is 0.1-1 mm, and the tensile strength is ≥5 kg; at 20° C., the resistance of the metal composite fiber is ≤0.5 Ω / m.

9. The dynamic submarine cable according to claim 7, characterized in that: The metal composite fiber includes a central wire and metal wires, wherein the metal wires are wound around the central wire.

10. The dynamic submarine cable according to claim 9, characterized in that The material of the central wire includes aramid, nylon or carbon fiber; the material of the metal wire includes pure copper wire, tinned copper wire or aluminum alloy wire.

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