Lead-Free Cable Joint Water Barrier for Watertight Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current water barriers for power cables, primarily made of lead, face issues such as high weight, low fatigue resistance, and environmental concerns, making them unsuitable for dynamic cables and challenging to joint effectively for a watertight seal.
Innovation Solution
A lead-free water barrier system using pre-formed elements, such as tubular and conical parts made from materials like aluminum, titanium, or stainless steel, which are welded together to form a watertight joint with a polymeric insulation system and a filler to enhance sealing, ensuring the joint is watertight and environmentally friendly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If lead is used as water barrier material, then reliability and sturdiness are improved, but weight increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from lead to lead-free alternatives (such as aluminum or other metals), maintaining the water barrier function while significantly reducing the weight of the cable. This parameter substitution resolves the contradiction by preserving reliability through proper material selection while eliminating the excessive weight issue.
2Strength
If lead is used as water barrier material, then sturdiness is improved, but fatigue resistance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes lead with alternative materials that possess superior fatigue resistance properties while maintaining adequate strength. This material parameter change enables the water barrier to withstand dynamic conditions and fatigue cycles, resolving the contradiction between sturdiness and fatigue resistance.
3Ease of manufacture
If lead-based water barrier jointing method is used, then ease of manufacture is improved, but watertightness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the jointing method from traditional lead-based techniques to welding or other connection methods suitable for lead-free materials. This parameter change in the manufacturing process enables both ease of manufacture and achievement of watertight joints, resolving the contradiction between manufacturing ease and joint reliability.
4Reliability
If lead is used as water barrier material, then proven reliability is improved, but environmental compatibility deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes lead from the water barrier composition, eliminating the harmful environmental factor while maintaining the essential water barrier function. This extraction of the toxic element resolves the contradiction by preserving reliability through alternative materials while eliminating environmental harm.
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
The solution provides a lightweight, durable, and environmentally friendly watertight joint for power cables, reducing the challenges of lead-based barriers and improving the reliability of dynamic cable connections.
Implementation Method 1
pre-formed elements, such as tubular and conical parts made from materials like aluminum, titanium, or stainless steel, which are welded together to form a watertight joint
Data Source
Figure 1a~1c
Figure 2a~2d
Figure 2e~2f
AI summary
A joint (300) for joining a first electric cable (100) and a second electric cable (200), each cable (100; 200) comprising an electric conductor, an insulation system surrounding the electric conductor, and a water barrier (130;230) surrounding the insulation system; wherein the insulation system comprises an inner semiconducting layer, an insulating layer and an outer semiconducting layer, wherein the joint comprises an electrical conductor joint electrically connecting end sections of the two electrical conductors; an insulation system joint comprising an inner layer made of a first polymeric semiconducting material surrounding the electric conductor joint, an intermediate insulating layer made of a polymeric insulating material, covering an external surface of the inner semiconducting layer, an outer layer made of a second polymeric semiconducting material, covering an external surface of the insulating layer; and a water barrier layer surrounding the insulation system joint, wherein the water barrier layer is made of pre-formed water barrier elements (140a; 140b; 240a; 240b;).