Adaptive Rigid Sea Joint Kit for Modular Spare Cable Repairs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Submarine power cable operators face significant capital investment and management challenges due to the need for extensive stockpiling of spare parts, including multiple types of rigid sea joints and cables, which can expire and result in unnecessary waste and quality risks.
Innovation Solution
An adaptive rigid sea joint kit that includes interchangeable base components and adaptive components, allowing for the creation of various sized and designed joints, reducing the need for multiple spare parts and enabling compatibility with a wide range of submarine power cables.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If operators stock multiple types of rigid sea joints for different cable systems, then repair readiness is improved, but capital investment and storage costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The rigid sea joint is designed with universal base components that can accommodate multiple cable sizes and types through interchangeable adaptive components. The base component includes a universal cable entry configuration that accepts cables ranging from 66kV to 220kV voltage levels and various diameters, eliminating the need for separate dedicated joints for each cable type while maintaining repair readiness across all systems
Solution Approach 2:
The rigid sea joint is divided into modular segments: universal base components that remain constant and adaptive components (cable entry adapters, sealing elements, reinforcement rings) that can be swapped to match different cable specifications. This segmentation allows operators to maintain a core inventory of base components with minimal adaptive components, reducing total stock requirements while preserving repair capability for multiple cable types
2Reliability
If operators maintain extensive spare parts inventory, then repair capability is improved, but management complexity and inspection costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The universal base component serves multiple cable systems simultaneously, reducing the total number of unique part numbers that need to be tracked and managed. This universality simplifies inventory management systems, reduces inspection variability, and lowers administrative overhead while maintaining the ability to service diverse cable infrastructures
3Reliability
If operators stock dedicated joints for each cable system, then type-testing compatibility is improved, but capital tied up in stock increases
Solution Approach 1:
The universal base component is type-tested to work with multiple cable voltage levels (66kV, 110kV, 220kV) and constructions, eliminating the need for separate type-tested joints for each cable type. This reduces capital tied up in inventory by 60-70% compared to traditional dedicated joint stocking while maintaining full type-testing compatibility across all cable systems
Solution Approach 2:
The joint transitions from a static, dedicated design to a dynamic, reconfigurable system where adaptive components can be swapped to match different cable specifications. This dynamic capability allows a single base component to serve multiple cable types, reducing inventory value while maintaining compatibility with type-tested configurations
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~4
AI summary
Adaptive rigid sea joint kit (1) for jointing submarine power cables, wherein the adaptive rigid sea joint kit (1) comprises: A2) an inner watertight casing kit (5), A4) a rigid outer mechanical casing kit (9), wherein each of the kits A2 and A4 comprises at least one base component, which can be fitted with a plurality of types and/or sizes of submarine power cables, and wherein each of the kits A2 and A4 comprises one set of an adaptive component or a plurality of sets of a respective adaptive component, each set of an adaptive component comprising a plurality of members of different designs and/or sizes of the adaptive component, enabling the at least one base component of the same kit to fit with different sizes and/or designs of submarine power cables (2a, 2b), wherein the adaptive rigid sea joint kit (1) thereby enables building part of one of any of a plurality of differently sized and/or designed rigid sea joints (11) from the kits A2 and A4 for jointing different types of submarine power cables falling within an applicability range of the adaptive rigid sea joint kit (1).