Drilling Vessel Cable Compartment Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The complexity of cable management on drilling vessels is increased due to the need for adequate segregation and spacing of important cables to ensure continued operation after damage, such as fire or component failure, making it difficult to maintain safe positioning and power supply to thrusters.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of separate cable compartments on the cellar deck surrounding the vertical centre of the drilling vessel, with bulkheads and intermediate decks to divide them into fire zones, allowing main cables from different distribution boards to be kept apart and routed through protected paths to thrusters.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If main cables from different distribution boards are routed through common compartments, then cable management becomes simpler, but the risk of damage propagation and loss of redundancy increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the cable routing into separate compartments for different distribution boards within the cellar deck. Each distribution board has its own dedicated compartment, preventing cables from different distribution boards from running together. This segmentation maintains reliability by isolating potential damage while managing complexity through organized separation.
2Reliability
If important cables are placed in different areas and spaced well apart, then redundancy and safety are improved, but the complexity of cable routing increases considerably
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the benefits of separation and organization by routing all cables through a common cellar deck structure while maintaining separate compartments within it. This combining approach achieves the safety of spaced-apart routing through compartmentalization while reducing overall routing complexity by providing a dedicated cable pathway through the vessel structure.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If cables are routed through protected paths in the cellar deck, then the risk of fire damage and mechanical loading is reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces the cellar deck as an intermediary structure that provides protected cable routing. The cellar deck acts as a mediator between the generators on the main deck and the consumption items, offering a shielded pathway that reduces exposure to fire and mechanical damage while organizing cable management through dedicated compartments.
4Reliability
If two separate cable compartments are used to achieve adequate spacing, then cable segregation is improved, but the manufacturing and installation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the cellar deck a multi-functional structure that simultaneously serves as a structural element of the vessel, a protective enclosure for cables, and an organizational framework for cable compartments. This universality reduces manufacturing and installation complexity by combining multiple functions into a single structure rather than requiring separate elements for each function.
Data Source
AI summary
A drilling vessel device comprising a deck structure including at least a main deck with several generators, and a cellar deck providing a passage for at least a main cable from a generator to a consumption item, where the cellar deck is provided with at least one about the central vertical axis of the drilling vessel encircling cable compartment.