Modular Subsea Switchgear Canisters for Circuit Breaker Isolation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing subsea switchgear apparatuses face challenges in maintaining and replacing circuit breakers efficiently while ensuring operational safety and flexibility under high-pressure marine environments.
Innovation Solution
A subsea switchgear apparatus design featuring canisters with pressure barriers separating the circuit breaker chamber from the distribution chamber, allowing for easy maintenance and replacement of circuit breakers, and incorporating pressure vessels filled with gas to protect the circuit breakers during faults, with canisters being modular and releasable for adaptability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If circuit breakers are integrated into a fixed subsea switchgear apparatus, then the apparatus provides stable power distribution, but maintenance and replacement of circuit breakers become complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The switchgear apparatus is segmented into modular canisters, each housing a circuit breaker. These canisters can be independently removed and replaced without affecting other components, significantly simplifying maintenance operations while maintaining system reliability through modular architecture
Solution Approach 2:
The canisters are designed with dynamic mounting mechanisms that allow for quick connection and disconnection. This enables the system to transition from a fixed configuration to a maintainable modular configuration, reducing maintenance time and complexity while preserving operational reliability during normal operation
2Device complexity
If circuit breakers are housed in a single shared chamber, then the apparatus has simple structure, but a fault in one circuit breaker can affect other circuit breakers
Solution Approach 1:
The single shared chamber is divided into multiple separate canisters, each containing an individual circuit breaker. This segmentation provides physical isolation between circuit breakers, preventing fault propagation while maintaining relatively simple overall structure through standardized modular units
Solution Approach 2:
Each canister is pre-configured as a self-contained unit with its own circuit breaker and necessary components. This preliminary preparation allows for independent operation and fault isolation, ensuring that a failure in one canister does not compromise other canisters while keeping the overall structure manageable
3Ease of manufacture
If the switchgear apparatus uses fixed configuration, then manufacturing is simpler, but adaptability to varying operating conditions is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The apparatus is manufactured as a set of standardized modular canisters that can be configured in different arrangements based on operational requirements. This segmentation allows for simpler manufacturing of individual modules while providing greater overall adaptability through flexible assembly configurations
Solution Approach 2:
Each canister is designed as a universal module that can be used in various positions and configurations within the switchgear apparatus. This universality maintains manufacturing simplicity through standardized production while enabling adaptability to different operating conditions through reconfigurable arrangements
Data Source
Figure 1a~1c
Figure 2a~5b
Figure 3a~3c
AI summary
The invention relates to a subsea switchgear apparatus, which comprises: - a frame (10), - at least one electrical power inlet (1 1 ) mounted to the frame (10), - at least one electrical power outlet (12) mounted to the frame (10), - a distribution chamber (31 ) mounted to the frame (10), - at least one canister (20), which is mounted to the frame (10) and comprises a chamber (21 ) accommodating at least one high voltage circuit breaker (22), and - electrical connections (32) arranged in the distribution chamber (31 ) for electrically connecting the respective circuit breaker (22) of a canister (20) to the associated power inlet (11 ) and power outlet (12) of the switchgear apparatus (1 ). The chamber (21 ) of the respective canister (20) is separated from the distribution chamber (31 ) by a pressure barrier (23).