Cable Cooling Apparatus with Water Layer and Pressure Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Power cables in wind farms, particularly those exposed to air, experience inadequate cooling, leading to increased temperatures and reduced conductivity, which can result in 'hot spots' and restricted power transmission, complicating temperature monitoring and increasing costs.
Innovation Solution
A cooling apparatus is designed with an outer pipe and connecting elements to create a water-filled interspace around the cable, using a pressure regulator to maintain water pressure and ensure a watertight connection, allowing for effective cooling of the cables and monitoring of water pressure for optimal operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If power cables are exposed to air for wind turbine connections, then installation and protection are simplified, but cooling efficiency deteriorates leading to overheating and reduced conductivity
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling apparatus implements nesting by placing the power cable arrangement inside an outer pipe, creating a nested structure where the cable is accommodated within the protective pipe. This nested configuration allows the cable to benefit from both the simplified aerial installation and the cooling effect of the water layer surrounding it, resolving the contradiction between ease of installation and temperature control.
Solution Approach 2:
A layer of water is introduced as an intermediary substance between the power cable arrangement and the outer pipe. This water layer acts as a heat transfer medium that actively cools the cable, mediating between the heat-generating cable and the protective pipe structure, thereby maintaining low cable temperature while preserving the aerial installation configuration.
2Power
If cable diameter is increased to maintain conductivity at high temperatures, then power transmission capability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention shifts the solution from increasing cable diameter (one-dimensional approach) to introducing a cooling dimension (water layer surrounding the cable). By adding this thermal management dimension, the system maintains high power transmission capability without requiring larger cable cross-sections, thereby avoiding increased device complexity and cost.
3Measurement precision
If fiber-optic temperature monitoring is implemented in submarine cables, then temperature control is improved, but system complexity and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is designed to be self-regulating through the pressure regulator that automatically maintains water pressure within optimal ranges. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for complex active monitoring and control systems, providing temperature control through passive thermal management rather than active electronic monitoring.
Solution Approach 2:
The pressure regulator provides feedback control by monitoring and adjusting water pressure to maintain optimal cooling conditions. This feedback mechanism ensures the cooling system operates efficiently without requiring complex temperature sensing and control electronics, simplifying the overall system while maintaining effective temperature control.
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
This solution provides cost-effective and efficient cooling of power cables, preventing overheating, reducing the risk of 'hot spots', and enabling the use of smaller cable diameters while maintaining reliable power transmission without harming the environment.
Implementation Method 1
a heated-up cable in the cable arrangement can always advantageously be cooled, since water has a heat-conducting property
Implementation Method 2
the water pressure can be adapted by the pressure regulator, for example so that any air pockets which may occur are displaced by cooling water
Data Source
AI summary
A cooling device for cooling a cable assembly, containing an outer pipe, which is designed to accommodate the cable assembly in such a way that an intermediate space for accommodating a cooling water layer remains between the outer pipe and the cable assembly, a connecting element for creating a water-tight connection between the outer pipe and the cable assembly, and a pressure controller for controlling the water pressure in the cooling water layer, is provided. A cable device is also provided, including an electric cable assembly, and a cooling device. A wind farm is also provided, including a number of cable assemblies for transmitting electrical power from wind turbines and including a number of cooling devices for cooling the cable assemblies A method for providing a cooling device for a cable assembly is further provided.