Cable Water-Cooling Sleeve for Shore Transition Heat Dissipation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Offshore wind turbine cables face high thermal loads during the transition from water to land, leading to thermal bottlenecks and difficulties in heat dissipation, often requiring concrete encasement which is uncertain and difficult to manage.
Innovation Solution
A system that uses controlled water flow to regulate the temperature of cables by collecting and discharging water from a body of water, with means for controlling the water quantity and guiding the cable to reduce mechanical stress, eliminating the need for concrete encasement and enhancing cable longevity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If concrete encasement is used to dissipate heat from the cable, then heat dissipation is improved, but reliability and technical responsibility are worsened due to uncertainties about complete encasement and difficulty in taking technical responsibility for the design
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces water as an intermediary cooling medium that flows through a cooling channel surrounding the cable. This water-based cooling system acts as a mediator between the heat-generating cable and the environment, providing reliable and controllable heat dissipation without the uncertainties of concrete encasement. The water can be circulated through pumps and heat exchangers, ensuring consistent thermal management and clear technical responsibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a hydraulic cooling system where water is pumped through a cooling channel that encases the cable. This hydraulic approach provides active, controllable cooling with measurable parameters (flow rate, temperature differential), enabling reliable thermal management and clear accountability for heat dissipation performance, unlike the passive and uncertain concrete encasement method.
2Temperature
If concrete mix is used to encase the cable for heat dissipation, then thermal load is reduced, but device complexity and manufacturing precision are worsened due to uncertainties about complete encasement and difficulty in quality control
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a flexible cooling channel (sleeve) that can be manufactured with precise dimensions and then installed around the cable. This modular approach ensures complete and consistent encasement without the quality control issues of concrete work. The cooling channel can be made from flexible materials that conform to the cable while maintaining precise thermal coupling, eliminating uncertainties about encasement completeness.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling system is divided into modular segments or sections that can be manufactured separately with high precision and then assembled around the cable. This segmentation allows for quality control at each manufacturing stage, ensures complete coverage, and provides clear documentation of installation quality, unlike monolithic concrete encasement which is difficult to inspect and verify.
3Temperature
If water flow is used to cool the cable, then heat dissipation is improved, but device complexity increases due to the need for water collection means and quantity control
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is designed to utilize naturally available water resources (sea water, lake water, or groundwater) that flow through the cooling channel by natural convection or simple gravity-driven flow. This self-service approach eliminates or minimizes the need for complex pumping systems, water treatment facilities, and control mechanisms, providing efficient heat dissipation with minimal added device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling channel is designed to serve multiple functions: it provides thermal insulation, acts as a mechanical protection sleeve for the cable, and serves as the water flow path for heat dissipation. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate cooling system components, thereby minimizing device complexity while maintaining effective heat dissipation performance.
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
Effectively reduces thermal bottlenecks at the water-to-land transition, improves cable durability, and simplifies maintenance by using water for cooling instead of concrete, ensuring efficient heat dissipation and easier repair.
Implementation Method 1
Water from the body of water can be selectively led from the body of water past the cable to regulate its temperature
Implementation Method 2
Water flows through a cooling means surrounding the cable to absorb heat and regulate the cable temperature
Data Source
AI summary
In particular, the invention relates to a system for regulating the temperature of a cable which is laid at least partly in a body of water and on land, said system including: means for collecting water on the land-side such that water can be collected into said means and can be dispensed out of said means; means for controlling a quantity of water such that a quantity of water flowing out of the means for collecting water on the land-side or flowing into said means from the body of water can be controlled; and means for cooling a cable, said means surrounding the cable in the form of a sleeve in at least one section of the means for collecting water on the land-side up to a body of water, wherein a cavity through which the water flows in order to cool the cable is formed between the cable and the means for cooling the cable. The invention additionally relates to the use of a system according to the invention.