Method and equipment for installing a power cable in a deployment site

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12355219-B2
Application number	US-202217661897-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 3, 2022
Priority date	May 6, 2021
Publication date	Jul 8, 2025
Grant date	Jul 8, 2025

Abstract

Method and Equipment for Installing a Power Cable in a Deployment Site The present disclosure relates to a method for installing a single power cable span in a deployment site comprising a rail for supporting the single cable span by trolleys, the method comprising the steps of providing a conveyor belt outside of the deployment site, the conveyor belt having a plurality of locations set at a predetermined distance one from the other along a longitudinal movement direction of the conveyor belt and moving integrally with the latter; repeating the following steps until the single cable span reaches a predetermined position while the conveyor belt is moving, positioning a first part of a holder at one of the locations; while advancing the single cable span, laying a portion thereof on said first part of the holder positioned at the location moving with the conveyor belt; connecting a second part of the holder to the first one to lock the cable span portion in between; while the cable span portion locked by the holder is leaving the conveyor belt, removing the first part of the holder from the location moving with the conveyor belt. According to another aspect, the present disclosure relates to an equipment for the installation of a single power cable span in a deployment site.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for installing a single power cable span, the method comprising:
providing a conveyor belt outside of a deployment site, the conveyor belt being located at a first site and comprising a belt for supporting the single power cable span at the first site, the deployment site being located at a second site different from the first site and separated by a section of the cable span, the cable span being prepared for installation at the first site and installed at the second site, the conveyor belt having a plurality of locations set at a predetermined distance one from the other along a longitudinal movement direction of the conveyor belt, the conveyor belt moving integrally with the plurality of locations; and
installing the single power cable span in the deployment site, the deployment site comprising a rail for supporting the single power cable span and a plurality of trolleys, the installing comprising repeating the following steps until the single power cable span reaches a predetermined position:
while the conveyor belt is moving, positioning a first part of a holder at one of the locations,
while advancing the single power cable span, laying a portion of the single power cable span on the first part of the holder positioned at the location moving with the conveyor belt,
connecting a second part of the holder to the first part of the holder to lock the portion of the single power cable span laid on the first part of the holder in between, and
while the cable span portion locked by the holder is leaving the conveyor belt, removing the first part of the holder from the location moving with the conveyor belt.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second part of the holder is engaged to one of the plurality of trolleys before being connected to the first part.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second part of the holder is engaged to one of the plurality of trolleys after having been connected to the first part.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second part of the holder is engaged to one of the plurality of trolleys once the first part is removed from its location.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the conveyor belt moving is caused by the single power cable span advancing.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the conveyor belt comprises an entry zone, a releasing zone and an intermediate zone between the entry zone and the releasing zone, wherein the single power cable span is laid on the first part at the intermediate zone.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the first part of the holder is positioned at one of the locations in the entry zone of the conveyor belt.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the holder leaves the location at the conveyor belt releasing zone.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the holders are provided at locations set at a distance which is the same for a given cable deployment.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising coupling the trolleys to a guiding rail or to a rail.

11. Equipment for installation of a single power cable span in a deployment site comprising:
at least one rail to be fixedly installed in the deployment site;
a plurality of trolleys slidably couplable to the at least one rail;
a plurality of holders for releasably connecting the single power cable span to one of the trolleys, each holder comprising a first part and a second part, the first part and the second part being configured to lock a portion of the single power cable span; and
a conveyor belt having a plurality of locations arranged at a predetermined distance one from the other along a longitudinal movement direction of the conveyor belt and movable integrally with the latter, the first part being configured to be removed when the portion of the single power cable span leaves the conveyor belt, wherein each of the locations is suitable for positioning the first part of one of the holders, the conveyor belt being located at a first site and comprising a belt for supporting the single power cable span at the first site, the deployment site being located at a second site different from the first site, the cable span being prepared for installation at the first site and installed at the second site.

12. The equipment of claim 11 , wherein the locations are in form of strips extending transversally with respect to the conveyor belt translational movement direction.

13. The equipment of claim 11 , wherein the second part of the holder is connected or connectable to one of the trolleys.

14. The equipment of claim 11 , wherein the at least one rail comprises a guiding rail.

15. The equipment of claim 11 , wherein each of the trolleys comprises a rope clamp for releasably connecting the trolley to a pulling rope.

16. A method for installing a single power cable span, the method comprising:
providing a conveyor belt outside of a deployment site, the deployment site comprising a rail for supporting the single power cable span and a plurality of trolleys, the conveyor belt having a plurality of locations set at a predetermined distance one from the other along a longitudinal movement direction of the conveyor belt, the conveyor belt being located at a first site and comprising a belt for supporting the single power cable span at the first site, the deployment site being located at a second site different from the first site and separated by a section of the cable span, the cable span being prepared for installation at the first site and installed at the second site, the conveyor belt moving integrally with the plurality of locations; and
performing a plurality of repetitive steps until the single power cable span reaches a predetermined position, each repetition of the plurality of repetitive steps comprising:
moving the conveyor belt,
while the conveyor belt is moving, positioning a first part of a holder at one of the locations,
advancing the single power cable span,
while advancing the single power cable span, laying a portion of the single power cable span on the first part of the holder positioned at the location moving with the conveyor belt,
connecting a second part of the holder to the first part of the holder to lock the portion of the single power cable span laid on the first part of the holder in between, and
while the cable span portion locked by the holder is leaving the conveyor belt, removing the first part of the holder from the location moving with the conveyor belt.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the conveyor belt moving is caused by the single power cable span advancing.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the conveyor belt comprises an entry zone, a releasing zone and an intermediate zone between the entry zone and the releasing zone, wherein the single power cable span is laid on the first part at the intermediate zone.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the first part of a holder is positioned at one of the locations in the entry zone of the conveyor belt.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the holder leaves the location at the conveyor belt releasing zone.

Assignees

• Prysmian Spa

Inventors

• Bacchini Marco
• Manfredi Simone
• Genovesi Mario

Classifications

• G02B6/50

  Underground or underwater installation; Installation through tubing, conduits or ducts · CPC title

• H02G9/02

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

• H02G1/06 Primary

  for laying cables, e.g. laying apparatus on vehicle · CPC title

• H01B13/0003

  for feeding conductors or cables · CPC title

• B65H2701/34

  electric cords or electric power cables · CPC title