Cable Pulling Arrangement With Friction-Reducing Wheels
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current equipment fails to efficiently pull high-voltage cables through long boreholes due to high friction between the cable bundle and the borehole surface, leading to cable damage and uneven force distribution, which is exacerbated in long, inclined, or vertical boreholes.
Innovation Solution
A cable pulling arrangement featuring clamps and coupling elements with friction-reducing wheels, where forces are distributed across multiple points along the cable bundle, reducing friction and ensuring uniform force transfer through the use of radially extending coupling elements and clamps adapted for three-cable bundles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If cables are pulled directly through long boreholes using conventional equipment, then the pulling operation can be performed, but high friction forces cause cable damage and make the operation impossible for very long boreholes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a pulling arrangement with coupling elements and clamps as intermediaries between the pulling force and the cable. These components distribute the pulling force through multiple contact points along the cable length, preventing concentrated stress and damage while enabling cable retrieval through very long boreholes where direct pulling would fail
Solution Approach 2:
The pulling arrangement segments the cable into multiple sections held by distributed clamps, with coupling elements connecting these segments. This segmentation allows the pulling force to be applied progressively through multiple points rather than concentrated at one location, reducing friction-related damage to the cable
2Force
If pulling forces are applied directly to the cable, then the operation is simple, but the forces become too large and overload the cable in long or inclined boreholes
Solution Approach 1:
The cable is divided into segments by multiple clamps distributed along its length. Each clamp applies localized holding force while coupling elements connect the segments, distributing the total pulling force across multiple attachment points rather than concentrating it on the cable alone
Solution Approach 2:
Clamps and coupling elements act as intermediaries between the pulling force and the cable. The clamps grip the cable at multiple positions while coupling elements transmit and distribute the pulling force through the cable bundle, preventing any single point from bearing excessive load that would exceed cable strength
3Ease of operation
If cables are pulled as a bundle, then handling is simplified, but friction between the cable bundle and borehole surface increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cable bundle is segmented into individual cables or sub-bundles by distributed clamps. This segmentation reduces the overall contact surface area between the bundle and borehole wall, thereby reducing total friction while maintaining the operational simplicity of bundle handling through the coupling element system
4Loss of energy
If cables are laid in ordered bundles (e.g., three-foil arrangement), then power loss is reduced, but maintaining cable order during pulling through long boreholes becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
Cables are pre-arranged in the desired ordered configuration (such as three-foil arrangement) before being gripped by the clamps. The clamps and coupling elements are designed to maintain this pre-established order during the pulling operation through long boreholes, preventing cables from becoming tangled or disordered
Solution Approach 2:
Clamps and coupling elements serve as intermediaries that maintain the spatial relationship between cables in the bundle. By gripping multiple cables simultaneously and connecting them through rigid or flexible coupling elements, the system preserves the ordered arrangement necessary for minimizing power loss
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
Enables the stable and damage-free pulling of high-voltage cables through long boreholes by minimizing friction and uniformly distributing pulling forces, maintaining cable order and preventing damage during extraction or system faults.
Implementation Method 1
friction reducing means (such as wheels) between clamps and/or coupling elements and the borehole inner surface
Data Source
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AI summary
Disclosed are a pulling arrangement or cable arrangement and a method for the pulling of cables or a cable bundle through an elongated borehole. The pulling forces are transferred and are distributed uniformly to the cable via a number of longitudinal running coupling elements which via transverse clamps are attached to the cable.