Underwater cable support module capable of actively responding to water-level change

Abstract

The present invention relates to an underwater cable support module capable of actively responding to a water-level change and, more specifically, to an underwater cable support module capable of actively responding to a water-level change, wherein an underwater cable for electrical connection between a floating photovoltaic power generation facility and a floating substation is maintained by a cable float at a position spaced apart from the seabed and the water surface, thereby preventing damage to the underwater cable caused by obstacles present on the seabed or obstacles floating on the water surface.

Description

Underwater cable support module capable of actively responding to water level changes

[0001] The present invention relates to an underwater cable support module capable of actively responding to changes in water level, and more specifically, to an underwater cable support module capable of actively responding to changes in water level that can prevent damage to the underwater cable caused by obstacles present on the underwater bottom or obstacles floating on the water surface, by maintaining the underwater cable, which is installed underwater and transmits power, at a position spaced apart from the underwater bottom and the water surface through a cable buoyancy body.

[0002] Solar modules are typically installed on the ground, but securing the site is the biggest obstacle to doing so. Since the land is usually privately owned, purchasing or leasing the site requires significant costs, and additional expenses for civil engineering work are also necessitated. Furthermore, it is true that there is a high likelihood of damaging agricultural land or forests.

[0003] Due to these issues, floating solar power systems have been developed, which involve floating power generation equipment on water. According to the '2019 Floating Solar Report' published by the World Bank Group, installing floating solar power plants on 1% of the world's reservoir area could generate approximately 521 TWh of electricity annually. This represents a massive amount of power, equivalent to 16% of Europe's total electricity consumption of 3.446 TWh in 2019. Due to this potential, floating solar power systems are expected to become one of the three major pillars of solar power generation, alongside ground-mounted solar and building-integrated solar.

[0004] However, floating solar power generation systems require the installation of underwater cables to supply the generated electricity to floating or land-based substations. Conventionally, a method of fixing underwater cables to sinkers installed on the underwater seabed was utilized. In other words, the underwater cables are installed along the underwater seabed.

[0005] However, this method had a problem where the underwater cable was damaged by various obstacles, such as logs and construction waste moving along the seabed. To solve this problem, a technology was developed to install buoyancy devices on the underwater cable to allow it to be laid along the water surface; however, this method also still faced the issue of the underwater cable being damaged by various obstacles or vessels floating on the surface.

[0006] Therefore, a technology was required to position an underwater cable at an underwater setting position spaced apart from the water surface and the underwater bottom surface, respectively.

[0007]

[0008] The present invention has been devised to solve the above problem, and its purpose is to provide an underwater cable support module capable of actively responding to changes in water level, which prevents damage to the underwater cable caused by obstacles present on the underwater bottom or obstacles floating on the water surface, by maintaining the underwater cable, which is installed underwater to transmit power, at a position spaced apart from the underwater bottom and the water surface through a cable buoyancy body.

[0009] In addition, the present invention aims to provide an underwater cable support module capable of actively responding to changes in water level, wherein a mooring line extended from a sinker on the underwater bottom surface is connected to a buoyancy body through an elastic expansion part, so that when the water level rises or falls, the elastic expansion part expands or contracts to maintain the distance of the buoyancy body from the water surface, and the tension of the underwater cable can be maintained without a separate electrical winding drive.

[0010] In addition, the present invention aims to provide an underwater cable support module capable of actively responding to changes in water level, which can adjust the buoyancy of the cable buoyancy body required to position the underwater cable at a set underwater location by providing an auxiliary buoyancy body coupled to the buoyancy body.

[0011] In addition, the present invention aims to provide an underwater cable support module capable of actively responding to changes in water level, wherein the mooring line protrudes upward through the buoyancy body and an upper stopper is provided at the top of the mooring line, thereby preventing the elastic expansion part from expanding beyond the elastic limit.

[0012] In addition, the present invention aims to provide an underwater cable support module capable of actively responding to changes in water level, wherein an elastic expansion part expands or contracts to maintain the tension of the underwater cable in response to changes in water level within a set range, and detects when the water depth increases beyond the set range and the tension of the underwater cable increases, thereby driving the cable winch to unwind, which prevents damage to the underwater cable and extends the durability of the cable winch.

[0013]

[0014] The present invention for achieving the above objective comprises: a cable buoyancy body coupled to an underwater cable that transmits power and is installed underwater to reduce the negative buoyancy of the underwater cable; a sinker installed on the underwater bottom surface through which the underwater cable passes; and a mooring line provided to connect the cable buoyancy body and the sinker to restrict the underwater movement of the cable buoyancy body, wherein the cable buoyancy body is positioned at a depth of a set distance from the water surface.

[0015] In addition, the cable buoyancy body of the present invention is characterized by comprising a buoyancy body and a fixing means coupled to one side of the buoyancy body to fix the underwater cable to the buoyancy body.

[0016] In addition, the cable buoyancy body of the present invention is characterized by including an elastic extension portion, the upper end of which is fixed to the buoyancy body and is configured to extend downward, and the lower end thereof to which the mooring line is coupled.

[0017] In addition, the cable buoyancy body of the present invention is characterized by being configured to include an auxiliary buoyancy body coupled to one side of the buoyancy body to increase buoyancy.

[0018] In addition, the auxiliary buoyancy body of the present invention is characterized by being coupled to the buoyancy body in a mutually opposing direction with respect to the buoyancy body.

[0019] In addition, the cable buoyancy body of the present invention is characterized in that a through hole is formed vertically in the center of the buoyancy body, the upper end of the mooring line passes through the through hole and protrudes upward from the buoyancy body, and an upper stopper having an outer diameter larger than the inner diameter of the through hole is coupled to the upper end of the mooring line.

[0020] In addition, the upper stopper of the present invention is configured to have buoyancy so that the upper end of the mooring line is positioned above the buoyancy body.

[0021] In addition, the upper stopper of the present invention is characterized by having an elastic contraction portion at the bottom so that when the cable buoyancy body rises above a set height, it contacts the upper end of the buoyancy body and contracts.

[0022] In addition, the present invention comprises a cable winch installed on a floating structure or a land structure and having the underwater cable wound thereon; wherein the cable winch is provided with a load cell between it and the bottom surface where it is installed, and is characterized by being driven to unwind when the measured value of the load cell exceeds a set value.

[0023] In addition, the load cell of the present invention is provided in pairs along a line parallel to the longitudinal direction of the underwater cable, and the cable winch is characterized by being driven to unwind when the measurement value of the load cell closer to the unwinding direction of the underwater cable is greater than or equal to a set value than the measurement value of the other load cell.

[0024]

[0025] The present invention has the effect of preventing damage to an underwater cable caused by obstacles on the underwater bottom or obstacles floating on the water surface, by allowing an underwater cable installed underwater to transmit power to be maintained at a position spaced apart from the underwater bottom and the water surface through a cable buoyancy body.

[0026] In addition, the present invention has the effect of maintaining the distance of the buoyancy body from the water surface by expanding or contracting the elastic expansion part as the mooring line extended from the sinker on the underwater bottom surface is connected to the buoyancy body through the elastic expansion part when the water level rises or falls, and maintaining the tension of the underwater cable without a separate electric winding drive.

[0027] In addition, the present invention has the effect of being able to adjust the buoyancy of the cable buoyancy body required to position the underwater cable at a set underwater location by providing an auxiliary buoyancy body coupled to the buoyancy body.

[0028] In addition, the present invention has the effect of preventing the elastic expansion part from expanding beyond the elastic limit by ensuring that the mooring line protrudes upward through the buoyancy body and that an upper stopper is provided at the top of the mooring line.

[0029] In addition, the present invention has the effect of preventing damage to the underwater cable and maintaining the durability of the cable winch for a longer period by allowing the elastic expansion part to expand or contract in response to changes in water level within a set range, and by detecting when the water depth increases beyond the set range and the tension of the underwater cable increases and driving the cable winch to unwind, thereby preventing damage to the underwater cable.

[0030]

[0031] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a floating solar power generation system to which an underwater cable support module capable of actively responding to changes in water level according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied.

[0032] FIG. 2 is a side view illustrating the installation of an underwater cable support module capable of actively responding to changes in water level according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a key part of an underwater cable support module capable of actively responding to changes in water level according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] FIG. 4 is a side view illustrating the usage state of FIG. 3.

[0035] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a key part of an underwater cable support module capable of actively responding to changes in water level according to an additional embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the usage state of an underwater cable support module capable of actively responding to changes in water level according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] FIG. 7 is a diagram of the usage state according to an additional embodiment of FIG. 6.

[0038] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a key part of an underwater cable support module capable of actively responding to changes in water level according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0039] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0040]

[0041] The present invention comprises, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 8, a cable buoyancy body (100) coupled to an underwater cable (30) that transmits power and reduces the negative buoyancy of the underwater cable (30), a sinker (200) installed on the underwater bottom surface through which the underwater cable (30) passes, and a mooring line (300) provided to connect the cable buoyancy body (100) and the sinker (200) to restrict the underwater movement of the cable buoyancy body (100).

[0042]

[0043] Before describing the underwater cable support module of the present invention, the floating solar power generation system to which the present invention is applied is briefly described as follows: as shown in FIG. 1, power produced from the floating solar power generation facility (10) is supplied to the power lines of KEPCO through the underwater cable (30) and via an inverter installed in the floating substation (20). The floating solar power generation facility (10) and the floating substation (20) are configured to float on the water surface.

[0044] At this time, the underwater cable (30) for electrically connecting the floating solar power generation facility (10) and the floating substation (20), the floating substation (20) and the power line of KEPCO, or the floating solar power generation facility (10) and the land substation is positioned below a set depth from the water surface so as not to be damaged by a vessel used by a manager to maintain the floating solar power generation facility (10) or the floating substation (20). However, if the underwater cable (30) is installed in a manner that sinks to the underwater bottom surface as in the past, rocks, trees submerged underwater, and waste materials from various facilities may cover it. In such a state, if the water level rises and the location of the floating solar power generation facility (10) and the floating substation (20) moves away from the underwater bottom surface, an accident may occur in which the underwater cable (30) is severed by the weight of foreign matter while rising in accordance with this. Therefore, a means is required to support the underwater cable (30) at a distance from the underwater bottom surface to prevent various objects rolling or moving along the underwater bottom surface from getting caught on the underwater cable (30).

[0045]

[0046] For this purpose, the present invention is provided with a cable buoyancy body (100). The cable buoyancy body (100) is coupled to an underwater cable (30) for electrical connection between a floating solar power generation facility (10) and a floating substation (20), and serves to reduce the negative buoyancy of the underwater cable (30). Although the cable buoyancy body (100) itself possesses positive buoyancy, it is preferable that the final result, with the weight of the underwater cable (30), elastic extension (130), mooring line (300), etc. added, has a buoyancy within a setting range of neutral buoyancy or lower. That is, it serves to reduce the negative buoyancy of the underwater cable (30) so that the underwater cable (30) does not rise to the surface of the water, while also preventing the underwater cable (30) from being cut or damaged by the sinking weight of the underwater cable (30).

[0047] The cable buoyancy body (100) comprises a buoyancy body (110) and a fixing means (120) coupled to one side of the buoyancy body (110) to fix an underwater cable (30) to the buoyancy body (110).

[0048] The buoyancy body (110) forms most of the buoyancy of the cable buoyancy body (100). Although it is illustrated as being formed in an inverted trapezoidal shape, it is not limited thereto and any structure capable of supporting the underwater cable (30) is acceptable. Additionally, although the drawing shows the underwater cable (30) being fixed to the top of the buoyancy body (110), it is not limited thereto and can be fixed to the side, bottom, etc. of the buoyancy body (110). An expansion insertion groove (114) is formed extending upward from the bottom of the buoyancy body (110). The expansion insertion groove (114) forms a space into which the elastic expansion part (130), which will be described below, is inserted, and the upper end of the elastic expansion part (130) is fixed inside it.

[0049] Referring to FIG. 3, the fixing means (120) serves to fix the underwater cable (30) to the buoyancy body (110). To this end, the fixing means (120) may employ a known fixing method for fixing a cable-shaped material to a block-shaped structure, such as a metal piece, a block made of synthetic resin, or a rope.

[0050]

[0051] Meanwhile, the final buoyancy of the cable buoyancy body (100) may vary depending on the installation spacing and installation location of the cable buoyancy body (100), as the weight of the underwater cable (30) that must be supported by one cable buoyancy body (100) increases accordingly. For example, compared to the case where the spacing between cable buoyancy bodies (100) is 5m, when the spacing between cable buoyancy bodies (100) is 10m, the weight of the underwater cable (30) that must be supported by one cable buoyancy body (100) increases by that amount. In addition, for the cable buoyancy body (100) closest to the floating solar power generation facility (10) or floating substation (20), the weight of the underwater cable (30) that must be supported may vary depending on how close it is installed to the floating solar power generation facility (10) or floating substation (20). For example, when the cable buoyancy body (100) is first installed at a distance of 5m from the floating solar power generation facility (10) or the floating substation (20), the force supporting the underwater cable (30) by the floating solar power generation facility (10) or the floating substation (20) is stronger, so the weight of the underwater cable (30) applied to the cable buoyancy body (100) is smaller, whereas when the cable buoyancy body (100) is first installed at a distance of 20m from the floating solar power generation facility (10) or the floating substation (20), it is obvious that the weight of the underwater cable (30) applied to the cable buoyancy body (100) is greater than in the aforementioned case.

[0052] However, as described above, if the weight of the underwater cable (30) that must be supported by each cable buoyancy body (100) is different, it is impractical to manufacture the cable buoyancy body (100) to have various buoyancy to accommodate this, due to reasons such as increased manufacturing costs and difficulties in logistics and inventory management. Therefore, it is desirable to manufacture the cable buoyancy body (100) with a single or minimal type of buoyancy and configure it so that the buoyancy can be adjusted according to the required buoyancy. To this end, the cable buoyancy body (100) of the present invention is configured to include an auxiliary buoyancy body (140) that is coupled to one side of the buoyancy body (110) to increase buoyancy.

[0053] As shown in FIG. 5, the auxiliary buoyancy body (140) can be coupled to the buoyancy body (110) in various ways. First, there may be a method in which the auxiliary buoyancy body (140) is coupled to the buoyancy body (110) itself. In this method, a rod-shaped projection (141) is protruded from one side of the auxiliary buoyancy body (140), and a screw thread is formed on the outer circumference of the rod-shaped projection (141). A groove (111) is formed on the outer surface of the buoyancy body (110) in correspondence with this, and a screw thread is formed on the inner circumference of the groove (111), thereby coupling the rod-shaped projection (141) of the auxiliary buoyancy body (140) to the groove (111) of the buoyancy body (110) by screw coupling. Conversely, a method is also possible in which a projection with screw threads is formed on one side of the buoyancy body (110) and a groove corresponding to it is formed on the outer surface of the buoyancy body (110) so that they are screw-coupled to each other.

[0054] Second, a through hole is formed in the auxiliary buoyancy body (140), and a groove (111) is formed on the outer surface of the buoyancy body (110), with screw threads formed on the inner circumference of the groove. A separately manufactured bolt is connected by passing through the through hole of the auxiliary buoyancy body (140) from the outside of the auxiliary buoyancy body (140) and screwing into the groove (111) of the buoyancy body (110). In the opposite case, it is also possible to connect by having a protrusion with screw threads formed on one side of the buoyancy body (110) protrude, fitting the through hole of the auxiliary buoyancy body (140) into this protrusion, and then screwing a nut from the outside of the auxiliary buoyancy body (140) into the protrusion of the buoyancy body (110).

[0055] Third, a sliding fitting groove (112) is formed on the outer surface of the buoyancy body (110), and a fitting projection (142) with a corresponding shape is formed on the outer surface of the auxiliary buoyancy body (140) so that they are slidably coupled to each other. In this case, the fitting groove (112) is formed with a cross-sectional shape that is narrow on the outside and wide on the inside, and the fitting projection (142) is formed with a cross-sectional shape that is wide on the outside and narrow on the inside, so that the fitting projection (142) is configured not to detach from the fitting groove (112) in a direction intersecting with the sliding direction. The fitting groove (112) may be formed upward along the side from the lower end of the buoyancy body (110), or it may be formed upward along the side at a position spaced apart from the lower end of the buoyancy body (110). When the fitting groove (112) is formed at a position spaced apart from the lower part of the buoyancy body (110), it is preferable that the outer surface of the lower part of the fitting groove (112) be expanded so that the fitting projection (142) can enter. The connection between the fitting groove (112) and the fitting projection (142) can be maintained without detachment even with only a forced fit, and after the cable buoyancy body (100) enters the water, the reverse detachment is naturally prevented by the buoyancy of the auxiliary buoyancy body (140). In this case as well, it is of course possible to configure the fitting groove to be formed in the auxiliary buoyancy body (140) and the fitting projection to be formed in the buoyancy body (110).

[0056]

[0057] If the underwater cable (30) described above is supported solely by the cable buoyancy body (100), there is a risk that the underwater cable (30) may be pulled sideways and damaged due to the influence of water currents or tides. Therefore, it is necessary to limit the position of the underwater cable (30), that is, the planar position of the cable buoyancy body (100) underwater, to within a set range. To this end, as shown in FIG. 2, the present invention is provided with a sinker (200) installed on the underwater bottom surface and a mooring line (300) connecting the sinker (200) and the cable buoyancy body (100) to restrict the underwater movement of the cable buoyancy body (100).

[0058] The sinker (200) is formed of a material and shape capable of resisting a pulling force greater than a certain amount simply by being placed on the underwater bottom surface, such as a concrete block. Although the sinker (200) is illustrated as having one mooring line (300) fixed to one sinker (200), it is not limited to this and it is also possible to have two or more mooring lines (300) fixed to one sinker (200). However, in order to respond favorably to the rising height of each cable buoyancy body (100) when the water level rises, it is stable to have one mooring line (300) fixed to one sinker (200).

[0059] The mooring line (300) is provided to connect the cable buoyancy body (100) and the sinker (200) and serves to restrict the underwater movement of the cable buoyancy body (100). However, if the mooring line (300) is directly connected to the buoyancy body (110) of the cable buoyancy body (100), there is a risk that the following problems may occur. When the water level rises due to rain or tidal forces, the floating solar power generation facility (10) and the floating substation (20) rise along the water surface, and the underwater cable (30) and the cable buoyancy body (100) connecting the two also rise. However, if the position of the cable buoyancy body (100) is fixed by the sinker (200) and the mooring line (300), the underwater cable (30) cannot rise along the floating solar power generation facility (10) and the floating substation (20), so there is a high possibility of damage. At this time, there is also a method to prevent damage to the underwater cable (30) by providing a winch for winding the underwater cable (30) in a floating solar power generation facility (10) or a floating substation (20) and winding or unwinding it according to changes in water level. However, there is a problem in that repeatedly winding or unwinding the winch even with changes in water level within a set range reduces the durability of the winch and results in increased maintenance costs.

[0060] Therefore, a means is required to respond to the upward and downward movement of the cable buoyancy body (100) without driving a winch in response to changes in the water level within a set range. To this end, the cable buoyancy body (100) is configured to include an elastic extension part (130) to which a mooring line (300) is connected at the bottom, and which is provided so that the upper end is fixed to the buoyancy body (110) and can be extended downward. As shown in FIG. 4, when the cable buoyancy body (100) rises as the water level (WL) rises, the elastic extension part (130) extends in length in accordance with the rise of the cable buoyancy body (100), thereby reducing the increase in tension of the underwater cable (30) without separate electric power driving. Referring to FIG. 4, it can be seen that the distance (La, Lb) from the water surface to the underwater cable (30) remains the same even when the water level (WL) fluctuates. Additionally, when the water level drops and the cable buoyancy body (100) descends, the extended length contracts again to correspond to the underwater height of the cable buoyancy body (100). Although this elastic extension part (130) is illustrated as being configured in the form of a spring, it is not limited thereto, and any configuration capable of elastically expanding or contracting its length may be used.

[0061] The elastic extension (130) is inserted into the inner side of the extension insertion groove (114) from below the extension insertion groove (114) formed in the buoyancy body (110), and its upper end can be fixed to the inner side of the extension insertion groove (114). Through this, the accumulation of underwater floating foreign matter on the surface of the elastic extension (130) is reduced to a certain extent, and the lifespan of the elastic extension (130) can be extended. However, it is also possible to configure the upper end of the elastic extension (130) to be fixed to the lower end of the buoyancy body (110). It is preferable that such an elastic extension (130) be formed with a length of approximately 1m and extend up to a maximum length of 2m, but this is not limited thereto.

[0062]

[0063] Meanwhile, when the water level continues to rise until the mooring line (300) between the sinker (200) and the elastic extension (130) becomes taut, and then rises again beyond the maximum extension length of the elastic extension (130), if the underwater cable (30) is not unwound from the cable winch (31) at an appropriate time, there is a possibility that the elastic extension (130) will exceed its elastic limit and will not be able to return to its original shape. Therefore, a means to prevent the elastic extension (130) from extending beyond a set length is required.

[0064] To this end, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, a through hole (115) is formed vertically in the center of the buoyancy body (110), and the mooring line (300) is configured so that its upper end passes through the through hole (115) and protrudes upward from the buoyancy body (110). Then, an upper stopper (310) having an outer diameter larger than the inner diameter of the through hole (115) of the buoyancy body (110) is attached to the upper end of the mooring line (300). At this time, the length of the mooring line (300) between the upper end of the buoyancy body (110) and the lower end of the upper stopper (310) when the elastic expansion part (130) is fully contracted is set to be less than or equal to the elastic limit expansion length of the elastic expansion part (130). Referring to FIG. 6, as the cable buoyancy body (100) rises along with the rising water level and the elastic expansion part (130) expands, one side of the mooring line (300) is fixed to the bottom of the elastic expansion part (130). As the elastic expansion part (130) expands, the mooring line (300), which protrudes upward through the through hole (115) of the buoyancy body (110), is gradually pulled downward from the buoyancy body (110). Then, when the upper stopper (310) comes into contact with the top of the buoyancy body (110), the mooring line (300) is no longer pulled and the elastic expansion part (130) is no longer expanded. In this state, the cable buoyancy body (100) does not rise even if the water level rises further, and only then does the cable winch (31) drive the unwinding so that the underwater cable (30) is not damaged. Through this, for changes in water level within the elastic expansion and contraction range of the elastic expansion part (130), the tension of the underwater cable (30) can be maintained within the set range without driving the cable winch (31), thereby reducing the maintenance cost of the cable winch (31).

[0065] Meanwhile, if the upper stopper (310) is formed as a weight and sinks in a shape that bends downward again together with the mooring line (300) protruding from the upper part of the buoyancy body (110), an immediate response action may not be performed due to friction with the buoyancy body (110) when the elastic expansion part (130) expands. If the mooring line (300) protruding from the upper part of the buoyancy body (110) is not immediately pulled by friction with the buoyancy body (110) while the elastic expansion part (130) is attempting to expand, a phenomenon may occur where the cable winch (31) is driven unnecessarily. Therefore, the upper stopper (310) of the present invention is configured to have buoyancy, thereby positioning the upper end of the mooring line (300) above the buoyancy body (110). The buoyancy of the upper stopper (310) is sufficient if it prevents the mooring line (300) exposed above the buoyancy body (110) from bending downward.

[0066] Additionally, as shown in FIG. 7, the upper stopper (310) may be provided with an elastic contraction part (311) at its lower end. The elastic contraction part (311) serves to prevent damage to the underwater cable (30) by contracting to a predetermined length during the time from when the elastic expansion part (130) no longer expands as the upper stopper (310) and the buoyancy body (110) come into contact, until the cable winch (31) detects the increase in tension of the underwater cable (30) and drives the unwinding, thereby allowing the cable buoyancy body (100) to rise again by that contracted length. However, for the cable buoyancy body (100) to rise again, the elastic expansion part (130) must expand that much more. Accordingly, when the upper stopper (310) is provided with an elastic contraction part (311), it is preferable that the length of the mooring line (300) between the upper end of the buoyancy body (110) and the lower end of the upper stopper (310) be set to be less than or equal to the value obtained by subtracting the contraction length of the elastic contraction part (311) from the elastic limit expansion length of the elastic expansion part (130).

[0067]

[0068] Meanwhile, if the body of water where the solar power generation facility and the floating substation (20) are installed is a dam, the water level fluctuation may be 40m or more. In such cases, as shown in FIG. 8, a cable winch (31) with an underwater cable (30) wound around it is provided on the solar power generation facility or the floating substation (20), so that when the water level change exceeds the expansion limit of the elastic expansion part (130), the underwater cable (30) can be prevented from being damaged by driving the unwinding.

[0069] A load cell (32) is provided between the cable winch (31) and the floor surface where it is installed, and the cable winch (31) is driven to unwind when the measured value of the load cell (32) exceeds a set value. An increase in the measured value of the load cell (32) means that the tension of the underwater cable (30) increases, and the force pulling the cable winch (31) from the underwater cable (30) increases, and this increase in the tension of the underwater cable (30) is detected using the measured value of the load cell (32). However, if the underwater cable (30) is not entered directly from the cable winch (31) in a vertical or diagonal direction but is entered after passing through a separate roller or pulley, it may be difficult to estimate the tension of the underwater cable (30) using the measured value of a single load cell (32). Accordingly, the load cells (32) are provided in pairs parallel to the longitudinal direction of the underwater cable (30), and the cable winch (31) is driven to unwind when the measurement value of the load cell (32) closer to the unwinding direction of the underwater cable (30) is greater than or equal to the set value of the measurement value of the other load cell (32). This is because when the tension of the underwater cable (30) increases and the force pulling the cable winch (31) increases, a force is generated that causes the cable winch (31) to tilt in the direction of being pulled, and this force is manifested as the difference in measurement values ​​between the two load cells (32).

[0070]

[0071] The present invention, constructed with the above-described configuration, can maintain an underwater cable (30) installed underwater to transmit power at a position spaced apart from the underwater bottom surface and the water surface through a cable buoyancy body (100), thereby preventing the underwater cable (30) from being damaged by obstacles present on the underwater bottom surface or obstacles floating on the water surface.

[0072] In addition, the present invention has the effect that a mooring line (300) extended from a sinker (200) on the underwater bottom surface is connected to a buoyancy body (110) through an elastic expansion part (130), so that when the water level rises or falls, the elastic expansion part (130) expands or contracts to maintain the distance from the water surface of the buoyancy body (110) and maintain the tension of the underwater cable (30) without a separate electrical unwinding drive.

[0073] In addition, the present invention has the effect of being able to adjust the buoyancy of the cable buoyancy body (100) required to position the underwater cable (30) at an underwater set position by providing an auxiliary buoyancy body (140) coupled to the buoyancy body (110).

[0074] In addition, the present invention has the effect of preventing the elastic expansion part (130) from expanding beyond the elastic limit by ensuring that the mooring line (300) penetrates the buoyancy body (110) and protrudes upward, and that an upper stopper (310) is provided at the top of the mooring line (300).

[0075] In addition, the present invention has the effect of preventing damage to the underwater cable (30) and maintaining the durability of the cable winch (31) for a longer period, by allowing the elastic expansion part (130) to expand or contract in response to a change in water level within a set range, and by detecting when the water depth increases beyond the set range and the tension of the underwater cable (30) increases and driving the cable winch (31) to unwind, thereby preventing damage to the underwater cable (30).

[0076] <Explanation of Symbols>

[0077] 10: Floating Solar Power Generation Facility

[0078] 20: Floating Substation

[0079] 30 : Underwater cable 31 : Cable winch

[0080] 32 : Load cell

[0081] 100 : Cable buoyancy device

[0082] 110 : Buoyancy body 111 : Groove

[0083] 112: Insertion groove 114: Extension insertion groove

[0084] 115 : Through hole 120 : Fixing means

[0085] 130: Elastic extension 140: Auxiliary buoyancy body

[0086] 141 : Rod-shaped projection 142 : Insertion projection

[0087] 200 : Sinker

[0088] 300: Mooring line 310: Upper stopper

[0089] 311 : Elastic contraction part

Claims

1. A cable buoyancy body (100) coupled to an underwater cable (30) that is installed underwater and transmits power, and which reduces the negative buoyancy of the underwater cable (30); A sinker (200) installed on the underwater bottom surface through which the above underwater cable (30) passes; A mooring line (300) provided to connect the cable buoyancy body (100) and the sinker (200) to restrict the underwater movement of the cable buoyancy body (100); Includes, The above cable buoyancy body (100) is positioned at a depth of a set distance from the water surface, The above cable buoyancy body (100) comprises a buoyancy body (110) and a fixing means (120) coupled to one side of the buoyancy body (110) to fix the underwater cable (30) to the buoyancy body (110), an elastic extension part (130) having its upper end fixed to the buoyancy body (110) and configured to extend downward, to which the mooring line (300) is coupled to its lower end, and an auxiliary buoyancy body (140) coupled to one side of the buoyancy body (110) to increase buoyancy, thereby forming an underwater cable support module capable of actively responding to changes in water level.

2. In Paragraph 1, The above auxiliary buoyancy body (140) is characterized by being coupled to the buoyancy body (110) in a mutually opposing direction relative to the buoyancy body (110), thereby enabling an underwater cable support module capable of actively responding to changes in water level.

3. In Paragraph 1, An underwater cable support module capable of actively responding to changes in water level, characterized in that the cable buoyancy body (100) has a through hole formed vertically in the center of the buoyancy body (110), the mooring line (300) has its upper end protruding upward from the buoyancy body (110) by passing through the through hole, and an upper stopper (310) having an outer diameter larger than the inner diameter of the through hole is coupled to the upper end of the mooring line (300).

4. In Paragraph 3, An underwater cable support module capable of actively responding to changes in water level, characterized in that the upper stopper (310) is configured to have buoyancy so that the upper end of the mooring line (300) is positioned above the buoyancy body (110).

5. In Paragraph 4, An underwater cable support module capable of actively responding to changes in water level, characterized in that the upper stopper (310) is provided with an elastic contraction part (311) at its lower end, so that when the cable buoyancy body (100) rises above a set height, it contacts the upper end of the buoyancy body (110) and contracts.

6. In Paragraph 1, A cable winch (31) on which the underwater cable (30) is wound, installed on a floating structure or a land structure; An underwater cable support module capable of actively responding to changes in water level, characterized in that the above cable winch (31) is equipped with a load cell (32) between it and the floor surface where it is installed, and when the measured value of the load cell (32) exceeds a set value, it is driven to unwind.

7. In Paragraph 6, An underwater cable support module capable of actively responding to changes in water level, characterized in that the load cell (32) is provided in pairs along a line parallel to the longitudinal direction of the underwater cable (30), and the cable winch (31) is driven to unwind when the measurement value of the load cell (32) closer to the unwinding direction of the underwater cable (30) is greater than or equal to a set value than the measurement value of the other load cell (32).

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