Dynamic Submarine Cable Filling Member and Shielding

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional dynamic submarine cables suffer from poor roundness and poor fatigue resistance due to copper wire breakage, copper strip tearing, and poor sealing and installation issues with circular PE strip and PP rope combinations.

Innovation Solution

A dynamic submarine cable design featuring a cable core with stranded wire cores and filling members, each with arc-shaped abutting portions, and a mesh-like metal composite fiber shielding layer, enhancing roundness and fatigue resistance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional copper wire or copper strip shielding structures are used, then short circuit current carrying capability is provided, but fatigue resistance deteriorates due to copper wire breakage and copper strip tearing

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefatigue resistanceVSAvoidresistance to breakage and tearing
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces conventional copper wire or copper strip shielding structures with a composite shielding layer comprising metal composite fibers (combining metal and non-metal materials). This composite structure provides both the electrical conductivity needed for short circuit current carrying and enhanced mechanical properties including fatigue resistance and resistance to breakage and tearing, thereby simultaneously improving reliability and strength.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the material parameters of the shielding structure by using metal composite fibers with specific tensile strength (≥5kg), diameter (0.1-1mm), and resistance (≤0.5Ω/m). These parameter changes enable the shielding layer to maintain electrical functionality while achieving superior mechanical durability and fatigue resistance compared to conventional copper-based structures.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Manufacturing precision

If conventional circular PE strip and PP rope filling combination is used, then cable filling is provided, but roundness deteriorates resulting in poor sealing and installation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecable roundnessVSAvoidsealing and installation quality
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the geometric parameters of the filling member by designing it with a specific fan-shaped cross-section featuring three arc-shaped abutting portions. This parameter optimization ensures the filling member perfectly fills the triangular gaps between stranded wire cores, achieving superior cable roundness (not less than 8%) and eliminating the sealing and installation issues associated with conventional filling combinations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies curvature by designing the filling member with three arc-shaped abutting portions that conform to the curved surfaces of adjacent wire cores. This curved geometry enables optimal contact and distribution of filling material, achieving excellent cable roundness and facilitating proper sealing and installation of accessories, thereby improving both manufacturing precision and ease of operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Data Source

PatentEP4651158A1Dynamic submarine optical cable
Publication Date: 2025.11.19 ZHONGTIAN TECH SUBMARINE CABLE CO LTD
  • EP4651158A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4651158A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4651158A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A dynamic submarine cable includes a cable core, a cabling tape wrapping layer, an inner sheath, an armor layer and an outer sheath; where the cable core includes a wire core and a filling member, the filling member is provided between two adjacent wire cores and the cabling tape wrapping layer, a first abutting portion, a second abutting portion and a third abutting portion of the filling member are arc-shaped, where the first abutting portion and the second abutting portion are attached to two wire cores adjacent to the filling member, and the third abutting portion is attached to the cabling tape wrapping layer. The wire core includes a conductor, a conductor shielding layer, an insulating layer, an insulating shielding layer, a first waterproof tape wrapping layer, a metal composite fiber shielding layer, a second waterproof tape wrapping layer and an inner protective layer. According to the dynamic submarine cable, a cavity is filled by the filling member, so that a cross-sectional shape of a cable core is close to a circle; and compared with existing shielding structures, the metal composite fiber shielding layer has better fatigue resistance, thereby solving the problems in the prior art of poor roundness of dynamic cables and poor fatigue resistance of shielding structures.