Modular Subsea Cable Jointing With Dry Sealed Repair Space
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing subsea cable repair and jointing technologies are inadequate for high voltage cables, requiring large sections of cable to be lifted and transported, leading to inefficiencies, increased costs, and potential damage, and are limited in their ability to perform dry mateable connections and jointing due to geometric and pressure constraints.
Innovation Solution
A modular apparatus comprising units with moveable curved doors that allow for underwater cable repair and jointing, maintaining a dry environment by using differential pressure control and flexible geometry, enabling efficient cable intervention without lifting large sections to the surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional subsea cable repair methods are used, then cable faults can be repaired, but large sections of cable must be lifted from the seabed and transported to the surface, increasing operation time and cost
Solution Approach 1:
The repair system is divided into modular components: a habitat unit for personnel, a cable handling unit with cutting and splicing equipment, and support vessels. This segmentation allows the repair operation to be performed in situ on the seabed rather than requiring complete cable recovery to surface facilities, significantly reducing operation time.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions the repair operation from the traditional vertical dimension (lifting cable from seabed to surface) to a horizontal dimension (performing repair operations in place on the seabed). The habitat and cable handling equipment are deployed directly at the fault location, eliminating the need for lengthy cable recovery and transport operations.
2Reliability
If traditional cable repair methods are used, then cable faults can be repaired, but large sections of cable must be lifted and transported, increasing operational costs
Solution Approach 1:
The system is segmented into specialized modular units that can be deployed independently and configured for specific repair tasks. This modularity reduces operational complexity by allowing each unit to perform its designated function without requiring complex integration and coordination of entire cable recovery systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The habitat and cable handling unit serve as intermediaries between the fault location and support vessels. They provide on-site capabilities for cable cutting, splicing, and testing, eliminating the need for complex surface-based operations and reducing the intermediary steps required in traditional repair methods.
3Ease of operation
If traditional grapnel recovery operations are used, then cable ends can be recovered from the seabed, but the grapnel may put strain on the cable or cause additional damage
Solution Approach 1:
The cable handling unit acts as an intermediary that provides gentle, controlled cable manipulation capabilities. It includes specialized equipment for cable cutting, lifting, and positioning that avoids the harsh mechanical forces applied by traditional grapnels, thereby eliminating the risk of additional cable damage during recovery operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the mechanical grapnel system with a more sophisticated cable handling system that uses controlled mechanical forces, hydraulic lifting, and precision positioning equipment. This substitution eliminates the random, high-impact forces of grapnel recovery while maintaining effective cable retrieval capability.
4Reliability
If large sections of new cable are added during repair, then cable continuity can be restored, but valuable vessel space is occupied and additional cable must be returned to shore after repair
Solution Approach 1:
The cable handling unit includes pre-positioned cable splices and connection equipment ready for immediate deployment at the fault location. This preliminary preparation allows for efficient cable splicing and continuity restoration without requiring large reserves of spare cable to be stored on the vessel, reducing cable waste and vessel space requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The system includes on-board cable splicing and testing equipment that enables the repair team to complete the repair operation entirely at the seabed location. This self-service capability eliminates the need to return cable sections to shore for processing, reducing cable waste and operational time.
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
Enables efficient underwater cable repair and jointing of high voltage cables by minimizing the need for surface lifting, reducing costs and damage, and facilitating dry mateable connections, thus improving operational efficiency and versatility.
Implementation Method 1
maintaining a dry environment by using differential pressure control
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A modular apparatus (100) for high and low voltage submerged cable interventions comprises at least two units (2), each unit comprises a base shell (4), a top shell (6) and at least two side plates (18) which combine to create a sealed internal space (8). The side plate located at a distal end (14) of the unit (2) allows cables to pass through the exterior of the unit into the internal space (8). The side plate on the proximal end (16) of the unit (2) is a moveable curved door (28) which sits in line with a longitudinal axis of the base shell (4) when the curved door (28) is in the open position. The two units (2) can be brought together with proximal end (16) sealed to proximal end (16) to enable the two curved doors (28) to open to form a combined internal space (8).