Modular Subsea Cable Tensile Test Rig for Portable High-Load Testing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tensile test rigs for subsea cable products are large, fixed installations that require significant structural strength and substantial foundations, making them impractical for on-site testing at subsea cable production facilities.
Innovation Solution
A portable tensile test rig that can be reversibly disassembled into parts for transportation in standard containers, allowing for on-site assembly and testing without the need for fixed foundations or external anchoring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a fixed tensile test rig is used to apply large forces to subsea cable products, then the testing accuracy and force application capability are improved, but the device becomes immobile and requires substantial foundations and fixed installations
Solution Approach 1:
The test rig is divided into separate modular components including a load module, sheave module, and elongate base that can be disassembled and transported in standard containers. Each module maintains its structural integrity and load-bearing capacity while enabling mobility. The elongate base is segmented into multiple sections that can be assembled on-site to provide the necessary structural strength for applying large tensile forces to cable products.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a portable test rig is used to enable mobility and on-site testing, then the adaptability and ease of deployment are improved, but the structural strength and foundation requirements may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The test rig transitions from a static fixed installation to a dynamic portable system that can be assembled, disassembled, and relocated. The elongate base provides a rigid structural framework when assembled, maintaining the necessary structural strength for force application, while the modular design enables easy deployment and relocation to different testing locations without permanent foundations.
3Reliability
If long cable samples are transported to fixed test facilities for testing, then the testing capability is maintained, but the transportation risks and costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of transporting the cable sample to a fixed test facility, the test rig is brought to the cable production facility where the sample is already located. This inversion of the traditional testing approach eliminates the need to transport long, vulnerable cable samples, reducing transportation risks and costs while maintaining full testing capability through the portable rig's ability to apply required tensile forces and perform bending tests on-site.
Data Source
AI summary
A test rig for a subsea cable product 1 includes a sheave module 22 including a sheave 10 for holding a subsea cable product 1 that is to be tested and a load module 30 for applying tension to the subsea cable product 1 on the sheave 10 in order to perform a tensile bending test. An elongate base 28 is provided for placement between the sheave module 22 and the load module 30, the elongate base 28 providing a horizontal beam that can hold a compressive load generated by tension in the subsea cable product 1 during the tensile bending test. The sheave 10 can be reversibly divided into parts for transportation in one or more container(s) of smaller cross-section than the diameter of the sheave 10. The elongate base 28 can be reversibly divided into parts for transportation in one or more container(s) of smaller length than the whole length of the elongate base 28. In this way the test rig is made portable, for example as a kit of parts, and may be used in methods involving transport to different locations along with assembly/disassembly of the test rig.