Modular Subsea Cable Termination Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Subsea electrical cabling used in deep water operations, particularly with ROVs, faces challenges such as high maintenance costs, water ingress, limited flexibility, and reliability issues due to existing moulded rubber and oil-filled cable designs, which are expensive, difficult to modify, and prone to failure.
Innovation Solution
A modular electrical cable system featuring a termination assembly with a fillable housing, terminal block, and sealing sleeve, allowing for oil filling and air bleeding, which connects to both tubing and moulded cables, providing flexibility in length and orientation, and includes adaptable connector assemblies for various configurations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If moulded rubber electrical cabling is used, then the cable provides reliable electrical connection and insulation, but it is expensive and difficult to modify and repair
Solution Approach 1:
The cable system is divided into modular components: a termination assembly with housing and terminal block, separable cable sections, and replaceable connectors. This segmentation allows individual components to be modified or replaced without affecting the entire cable system, enabling easy repairs while maintaining reliable electrical connections through standardized interfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention allows changing cable parameters such as length, orientation, and connector type by replacing modular sections rather than modifying the entire cable. The termination assembly can be reconfigured with different terminal blocks or connected to cables of varying lengths, providing adaptability while preserving the reliability of the electrical connection system.
2Strength
If moulded rubber electrical cabling is used, then the cable maintains structural integrity, but it is prone to water ingress at junctions leading to reduced insulation and shorting
Solution Approach 1:
The termination assembly housing acts as an intermediary sealed chamber between cable sections and connectors. This housing provides a protected interface zone that prevents water from reaching electrical terminals and conductor junctions, eliminating the water ingress vulnerability present at rubber cable sheath junctions while maintaining the structural integrity of the overall cable system.
3Adaptability or versatility
If longer cables are purchased to accommodate different lengths, then cable versatility is improved, but excess cable adds unnecessary weight and creates safety hazards
Solution Approach 1:
The cable system uses modular, separable sections that can be configured in different lengths by connecting or disconnecting standard-length segments. This eliminates the need to carry excess cable for all possible length requirements, as the cable can be precisely configured to the needed length by joining appropriate numbers of modular sections, reducing ROV weight while maintaining length adaptability.
4Reliability
If moulded cables with fixed orientation are used, then the cable provides stable electrical connection, but it has limited flexibility in attachment orientation
Solution Approach 1:
The termination assembly and connector components are designed to be rotatable or adjustable in orientation while maintaining secure electrical connections. The modular interface allows the terminal block or connector to be positioned at different angles relative to the cable axis, providing orientation flexibility without compromising the stability or reliability of the electrical connection.
Data Source
AI summary
A termination assembly including an elongate housing having at least one access port and an end adaptor on each opposing end, said end adaptor including a tube adaptor or a moulded cable end adaptor, a terminal block having a plurality of terminals, said terminal block is positionable within the elongate housing, a sealing sleeve for covering the elongate housing, and wherein the termination assembly is fillable with oil and forms part of a sealed electrical cable when connected via the end adaptors to tube containing a wiring loom and/or when connected to a moulded cable.