Weighted Offshore Submarine Cable for Stable Seabed Burial
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Solution Overview
Problem
Offshore submarine cables used in wind farms face challenges such as complex and time-consuming installation, high initial costs, ongoing maintenance efforts, and exposure to seabed movements, which affect their operational life and interact negatively with local fisheries, due to adverse seabed conditions and environmental factors.
Innovation Solution
The development of an offshore submarine cable with denser components and an armor package, including copper or lead conductors and steel armor layers, designed to provide stabilization and mitigate mechanical stress, allowing for reduced installation and maintenance efforts and costs, while maintaining electrical power transmission capabilities between 3 MW and 2.5 GW.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If offshore submarine cables are buried deep in the seabed to protect them from mobile sediment and seabed movements, then their reliability and operational life are improved, but the installation complexity and time required increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the physical properties of the cable system through weighting elements. By adding weights to the cable, its density increases, causing it to sink to the desired burial depth without requiring extensive mechanical intervention. This transforms the installation process from one requiring deep mechanical burial to one where the cable self-buries through controlled sinking, significantly reducing installation time while achieving the required burial depth for reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements self-service through the weighting element mechanism. The weighted cable automatically sinks to the seabed and buries itself to the required depth through its own weight, eliminating the need for complex external burial equipment or extensive manual intervention. The cable system serves its own burial function, reducing installation complexity and time while ensuring adequate burial depth for operational reliability
2Reliability
If the seabed is stabilized through extensive preparation to prevent cable exposure, then cable reliability is improved, but installation costs and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter of cable density by incorporating weighting elements. This allows the cable to actively adapt to mobile seabed conditions by sinking to a stable depth and maintaining its position through its weighted design, rather than requiring the seabed itself to be stabilized through complex preparation work. The cable's modified physical parameters enable it to withstand seabed movements without exposure
Solution Approach 2:
The weighting elements act as counterweights that balance the forces exerted by mobile sediment and seabed movements. The added weight compensates for the instability of the seabed environment, allowing the cable to maintain its burial position and stability without requiring extensive seabed stabilization measures, thereby reducing installation complexity while ensuring cable reliability
3Reliability
If Cable Protection Systems are installed to reduce mechanical stress on cables, then cable reliability is improved, but installation time and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the protection function directly into the cable structure by integrating weighting elements and armor packages as inherent components of the cable design. Rather than installing separate Cable Protection Systems as additional external components, the protective functions are combined with the cable itself, eliminating the need for separate installation steps and reducing overall installation time while maintaining reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite material structures by combining the cable conductor, insulation, weighting elements, and armor packages into a single integrated composite system. The armor package and weighting elements work together as a unified protective structure that reduces mechanical stress on the cable, providing reliability without requiring separate protection systems and their associated installation 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
The cable system achieves stable burial and reduced mechanical stress, enabling efficient and cost-effective installation and operation, with the armor package and weighting elements ensuring the cable remains buried and functional under dynamic seabed conditions, thus reducing operational burdens and environmental impact.
Implementation Method 1
The offshore submarine cable comprises at least one weighting element having a density of at least 5 g/cm3 at 20° C.
Implementation Method 2
The offshore submarine cable comprises at least one weighting element having a density of at least 5 g/cm3 at 20° C.
Implementation Method 3
The offshore submarine cable comprises at least one armor package
Data Source
AI summary
An offshore submarine cable for an offshore wind farm. The offshore submarine cable has a power capacity between 3 MW and 2.5 GW, at least one weighting element having a density of at least 5 g/cm3 at 20° C., and at least one armor package.