Submarine cable system and a switching method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12224573-B2
Application number	US-202218049937-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 26, 2022
Priority date	Oct 26, 2022
Publication date	Feb 11, 2025
Grant date	Feb 11, 2025

Abstract

An submarine cable system includes a first and a second submarine cable circuit branches arranged in parallel between an onshore BSP and an offshore BSP, and a first and a second bus reactor circuits arranged in parallel and connected to the onshore BSP. The first and second submarine cable circuit branches each includes a first circuit breaker, a submarine cable circuit, and a second circuit breaker connected in series, a first line reactor of which one end is grounded and another end is connected between the submarine cable circuit and the first circuit breaker, and a second line reactor of which one end is grounded and another end is connected between the submarine cable circuit and the second circuit breaker. The first and second bus reactor circuits each includes a bus reactor and a circuit breaker connected in series. An example switching method for this system is also disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A switching method for a system, the system comprising: a first submarine cable circuit branch and a second submarine cable circuit branch arranged in parallel between an onshore Bulk Supply Point (BSP) and an offshore BSP, the first and second submarine cable circuit branches each including a first circuit breaker, a submarine cable circuit, and a second circuit breaker connected in series, a first line reactor of which one end is grounded and another end is connected between the submarine cable circuit and the first circuit breaker, and a second line reactor of which one end is grounded and another end is connected between the submarine cable circuit and the second circuit breaker; and a first bus reactor circuit and a second bus reactor circuit arranged in parallel and connected to the onshore BSP, each including a bus reactor and a third circuit breaker connected in series, the method comprising:
determining a submarine cable circuit branch to be energized;
determining a bus reactor related to the submarine cable circuit branch to be energized;
adjusting tap position of the determined bus reactor to reduce a load of the determined bus reactor;
adjusting tap positions of the first and second line reactors in the submarine cable circuit branch to be energized to reduce a load of each of the first and second line reactors;
energizing the submarine cable circuit in the submarine cable circuit branch to be energized; and
immediately after energizing the submarine cable circuit, readjusting the tap positions of the first and second line and the determined bus reactor in the energized submarine cable circuit branch such that voltage levels within the energized submarine cable circuits are acceptable.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
readjusting the tap positions of the first and second line reactors is done within 1.5 seconds after the submarine cable circuits are energized.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
adjusting tap positions of the determined bus reactor and adjusting tap positions of the first and second line reactors is done such that voltage levels on the onshore and offshore BSPs as well as within the submarine cable circuits are acceptable.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein determining a submarine cable circuit branch to be energized comprises determining a first energization scenario and a second energization scenario, wherein the first energization scenario is that none of the submarine cable circuits is energized, requiring energization of one of the submarine cable circuits, and wherein the second energization scenario is that one of the submarine cable circuits has already been energized and the other submarine cable circuit needs to be energized.

5. The method according to claim 4 ,
wherein, in response to determining the first scenario, the tap positions of both bus reactors are determined to be related to the submarine cable circuit branch to be energized, and is adjusted for minimum compensation, and
wherein, in response to determining the second scenario, only one of the bus reactors is assigned for and determined as related to the submarine cable circuit branch to be energized and the tap position of the assigned bus reactor is adjusted for minimum compensation.

6. The method according to claim 1 , the method further comprising detecting availability of the first and second line reactors, wherein the method is performed by an onshore Power Management System (PMS).

7. The method according to claim 6 , further comprising
determining, based on a predetermined criterion, whether the onshore PMS has a failure; and
switching the onshore PMS to a hot standby offshore, PMS in case the onshore PMS has a failure.

8. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions executable by a computer processor, the instructions comprising functionality for configuring at least one Power Management System (PMS) to perform a method comprising:
determining a submarine cable circuit branch to be energized;
determining a bus reactor related to the submarine cable circuit branch to be energized;
adjusting tap position of the determined bus reactor to reduce a load of the determined bus reactor;
adjusting tap positions of the first and second line reactors in the submarine cable circuit branch to be energized to reduce a load of each of the first and second line reactors;
energizing the submarine cable circuit in the submarine cable circuit branch to be energized; and
immediately after energizing the submarine cable circuit, readjusting the tap positions of the first and second line and the determined bus reactor in the energized submarine cable circuit branch such that voltage levels within the energized submarine cable circuits are acceptable.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions executable by the computer processor according to claim 8 , the instructions comprising functionality for configuring at least one Power Management System (PMS) to perform the determining a submarine cable circuit branch to be energized,
wherein the determining a submarine cable circuit branch to be energized comprises determining a first energization scenario and a second energization scenario,
wherein the first energization scenario is that none of the submarine cable circuits is energized, requiring energization of one of the submarine cable circuits, and wherein the second energization scenario is that one of the submarine cable circuits has already been energized and the other submarine cable circuit needs to be energized.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions executable by the computer processor according to claim 8 , the instructions comprising functionality for configuring at least one Power Management System (PMS) to perform readjusting the tap positions of the first and second line reactors,
wherein readjusting the tap positions of the first and second line reactors is done within 1.5 seconds after the submarine cable circuits are energized.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions executable by the computer processor according to claim 8 , the instructions comprising functionality for configuring at least one Power Management System (PMS) to perform adjusting tap positions of the determined bus reactor and adjusting tap positions of the first and second line reactors,
wherein adjusting tap positions of the determined bus reactor and adjusting tap positions of the first and second line reactors is done such that voltage levels on the onshore and offshore BSPs as well as within the submarine cable circuits are acceptable.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions executable by the computer processor according to claim 8 , the instructions comprising functionality for configuring at least one Power Management System (PMS) to perform the method further comprising detecting availability of the first and second line reactors,
wherein the method is performed by an onshore Power Management System (PMS).

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions executable by the computer processor according to claim 12 , the instructions comprising functionality for configuring at least one Power Management System (PMS) to perform the method further comprising:
determining, based on a predetermined criterion, whether the onshore PMS has a failure; and
switching the onshore PMS to a hot standby offshore PMS in case the onshore PMS has a failure.

Assignees

• Saudi Arabian Oil Co

Inventors

• Alkhardawi Wasseem Ali

Classifications

• H02J13/1323 Primary

  using optical fibres · CPC title

• H02H7/22

  for distribution gear, e.g. bus-bar systems; for switching devices {(detecting mechanical or electrical defects in gas-insulated switchgears H02B13/065)} · CPC title

• H02H7/055

  for tapped transformers or tap-changing means thereof · CPC title

• H02G9/02

  laid directly in or on the ground, river-bed or sea-bottom; Coverings therefor, e.g. tile · CPC title

• H02H11/008 Primary

  preventing unsafe switching operations in substations (Schaltfehlerschutz) · CPC title