Non-Metallic Cable Armour Joint for Mechanical Continuity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for joining non-metallic cable armour elements in submarine and umbilical cables fail to ensure mechanical continuity, dimensional stability, and environmental resistance, while also being time-consuming and difficult to apply.
Innovation Solution
A joint system comprising sockets with inner through bores and an interconnecting device that securely locks non-metallic tensile elements, allowing rotational movement only around a specific axis, using bonding material to ensure mechanical integrity and minimize lay loss.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If non-metallic tensile elements are used as cable armour to decrease total weight, then the cable weight is reduced enabling deployment in very deep water, but the jointing of these non-metallic elements becomes problematic in terms of mechanical continuity, dimensions, process speed and environmental resistance
Solution Approach 1:
A metallic socket acts as an intermediary element between non-metallic tensile elements. The socket receives end portions of multiple non-metallic elements, provides mechanical continuity through its structure, and enables reliable jointing while the non-metallic elements maintain their lightweight advantage. This mediator resolves the contradiction by allowing non-metallic elements to be joined reliably through a metallic component.
2Strength
If a joint system for non-metallic armour elements is designed, then mechanical continuity can be achieved, but the cable diameter may increase
Solution Approach 1:
The joint system employs a nested structure where non-metallic element end portions are inserted into and housed within a metallic socket. The socket itself is integrated into the cable structure, with the non-metallic elements nested within it. This nesting approach provides mechanical continuity while minimizing the increase in overall cable diameter, as the joint components are contained within the existing cable envelope.
3Ease of manufacture
If traditional splicing methods are used for non-metallic armour elements, then joining can be achieved, but the process speed is reduced and environmental resistance is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The jointing process replaces complex mechanical splicing operations with a simpler insertion and bonding process. Non-metallic element end portions are inserted into the metallic socket and secured through bonding material, eliminating the need for traditional mechanical splicing equipment and procedures. This substitution significantly increases process speed while maintaining ease of manufacture and environmental resistance.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The joint system provides quick, efficient, and environmentally resistant connections that maintain mechanical continuity and reduce cable diameter, preventing untwisting of non-metallic elements during manufacturing and deployment.
Implementation Method 1
secured therein by a bonding material
Implementation Method 2
the bonding material securing the non-metallic tensile element end portion is compressed inside the inner through bore
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a cable (100) comprising a cable core (101, 102, 103) and an armour (107), the armour (107) being formed by a plurality of consecutive sections of non-metallic tensile elements (109) wound around the cable core, each section including a first non-metallic tensile element (109') connected to a second non-metallic tensile element (109") of the consecutive sections by a joint (1) comprising: - a first socket (2') and a second socket (2"), each of said sockets (2', 2") comprising a flat body (4) extending longitudinally along a longitudinal axis (S) between a proximal end (5) and a distal end (6) and comprising an inner through bore (9) between a proximal aperture (7) at the proximal end (5) and a distal aperture (8) at the distal end (6), the first (109') and second (109") non-metallic tensile elements having an end portion (112) being housed in the inner through bore (9) of respectively the first (2') and second (2") socket by the proximal aperture (7) and secured therein by a bonding material, and each inner through bore (9) being shaped to translationally and rotationally lock the bonding material; - an interconnecting device (3) translationally and rotationally locked in the distal apertures (8) of the first and the second sockets (2', 2") and allowing the sockets (2', 2") to relatively rotate exclusively around at least one rotation axis (R) perpendicular to a plane where the socket body longitudinal axes (S) of the first (2') and the second (2") sockets lie.