Smart Injection Tanks for Cable Rejuvenation Pressure Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for rejuvenating electrical cables, such as iUPR and SPR, are prone to human error, require manual control, and often result in inefficient use of time and resources due to the need for frequent site visits and potential equipment failures, while SPR injections face risks of overpressure leading to costly cable failures.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a smart fluid injection system with smart injection and receiver tanks that utilize automated control, real-time monitoring, and communication capabilities to optimize pressure, detect fluid arrival, and provide remote notification, reducing human intervention and enhancing process repeatability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual control methods (iUPR/SPR) are used for cable injection, then the process can be completed with simple equipment, but human error and inefficiency increase due to frequent site visits and manual monitoring
Solution Approach 1:
The injection system automatically monitors its own operation, tracking fluid volume injected, pressure levels, and injection rate without requiring external intervention. The system self-adjusts parameters and detects completion or anomalies autonomously, eliminating the need for crews to repeatedly visit sites to check injection status.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates sensors and controllers that continuously monitor injection parameters (volume, pressure, rate) and provide real-time feedback to adjust the injection process. This closed-loop control ensures optimal injection conditions are maintained while automatically detecting when the fluid has reached the receiving end or when blockages occur.
2Reliability
If SPR injection with high pressure (up to 350 psig) is used to achieve thorough cable treatment, then injection effectiveness improves, but the risk of cable failure due to overpressure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts injection pressure based on real-time feedback from sensors monitoring cable response, fluid injection rate, and pressure levels. Rather than using fixed high pressure, the system modulates pressure to achieve effective treatment while automatically reducing pressure if signs of cable stress or overpressurization are detected, preventing catastrophic failure.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary assessments and gradual pressure increases before reaching maximum injection pressure. The controller monitors cable conditions throughout the process and prepares to reduce pressure or stop injection if anomalies are detected, preventing overpressure damage before it occurs while still achieving thorough treatment.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If iUPR injection with low pressure (below 30 psig) is used to avoid cable damage, then cable safety is maintained, but injection thoroughness and treatment quality decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The system maintains continuous injection at optimized pressure levels rather than using intermittent low-pressure pulses. The controller continuously monitors injection progress and maintains pressure within the optimal range (above 30 psig but below damage thresholds) throughout the entire injection process, ensuring both cable safety and thorough treatment by keeping the injection action continuous and effective.
4Productivity
If unattended injection processes are used to reduce labor requirements, then labor costs decrease, but detection of flow issues and equipment failures is delayed
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates sensors that continuously monitor injection parameters (fluid volume injected, pressure levels, injection rate) and automatically detect anomalies such as blockages, equipment failures, or abnormal pressure changes. The controller receives real-time feedback from these sensors and can immediately alert operators or automatically adjust parameters, enabling unattended operation with immediate fault detection capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces manual visual inspection and physical checking with electronic sensors and automated controllers that continuously monitor injection status. Optical sensors, pressure transducers, and flow meters substitute for human operators, providing continuous automated detection of injection progress and anomalies without requiring physical presence at the injection site.
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 smart fluid injection system improves the accuracy and efficiency of cable rejuvenation processes by minimizing human error, reducing unnecessary site visits, and allowing for higher injection pressures without risking cable failure, thereby optimizing crew productivity and cable treatment.
Implementation Method 1
The sensor package may include a barometer configured to measure an internal pressure within the interior portion of the smart receiver tank
Data Source
AI summary
A tank including a fluid reservoir, a communication module, a controller, and at least one sensor. The fluid reservoir is configured to be in fluid communication with a cable segment. The communication module is configured to communicate with an external device. The sensor is configured to detect an injection parameter value, encode the injection parameter value in a sensor signal, and send the sensor signal to the controller. The controller is configured to automatically instruct the communication module to transmit information to the external device based on the injection parameter value.