Method and apparatus for producing a submarine cable, and submarine cable produced therewith

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016358697-A1
Application number	US-201515108698-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 3, 2015
Priority date	Feb 24, 2014
Publication date	Dec 8, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method and to an apparatus for producing a submarine cable containing a number of conductors, in particular energy conductors and/or data conductors, that are accommodated inside a cable-protecting pipe, is provided. The following method steps being carried out: a) providing the conductors and the cable-protecting sheath and conveying the same into a common assembly region; b) bringing the conductors and the cable-protecting pipe together; c) opening the separating slit in the cable-protecting pipe such that an insertion opening of the open separating slit is formed; e) holding the open separating slit open; f) inserting the conductors into the cable-protecting pipe through the insertion opening in the open separating slit; and g) releasing the open separating slit.

First claim

1 . A method for manufacturing a submarine cable containing a plurality of conductors comprising power conductors and/or data conductors which are received within a cable protection tube, the method comprising:
a) providing the plurality of conductors and the cable protection tube, and conveying into a common assembly region; b) gathering the plurality of conductors and the cable protection tube; c) opening a separation slot of the cable protection tube such that an introduction opening of the opened separation slot is formed; d) retaining the opened separation slot; e) introducing the plurality of conductors into the cable protection tube through the introduction opening of the opened separation slot; and f) releasing the retention of the opened separation slot.

2 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein slitting of a jacket of the cable protection tube is performed between steps 1b) and 1c), such that the separation slot in a longitudinal direction in the cable protection tube is formed.

3 . The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein slitting of the jacket of the cable protection tube is performed by a mechanical and/or a physical and/or a chemical separation, by non-chipping separation by means of a knife or a blade, respectively.

4 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein closing of the opened separation slot is performed during or after step 1f).

5 . The method as claimed in claim 4 , wherein closing of the opened separation slot is performed by overlapping in an overlapping region of angular jacket strips of the cable protection tube on both sides of the separation slot, and/or by abutting two longitudinal edges of the separation slot, and/or by receiving in a clamping manner a flexible closure tape between the two longitudinal edges of the separation slot.

6 . The method as claimed in claim 5 , wherein, in temporal terms before and/or during step 1e) and/or in temporal terms during and/or after step 1f) and/or in temporal terms between step 1e) and step 1f), a sealing/watertight embedding layer/casting compound is filled into an intermediate space between the cable protection tube and the plurality of conductors located therein, wherein the sealing embedding layer/casting compound is also filled into the intermediate space between the two mutually overlapping strip-shaped angular jacket strips of the cable protection tube in the overlapping region, the two mutually overlapping strip-shaped angular jacket strips thus being unreleasably interconnected in a sealing/watertight manner.

7 . An apparatus for manufacturing a submarine cable comprising:
a) a provisioning installation and a conveying installation for providing a plurality of conductors comprising power conductors and/or data conductors, and a cable protection sheath, and conveying into a common assembly region; b) a gathering installation for gathering the plurality of conductors and the cable protection tube; c) an opening installation for opening a longitudinally extending separation slot of a jacket of the cable protection tube at least up to a point at which an introduction opening for at least one of the conductors of the plurality of conductors is formed; d) a retention installation for retaining the opened separation slot; e) an introduction installation for introducing the plurality of conductors into the cable protection tube through the introduction opening of the opened separation slot, and for subsequently introducing a flexible closure tape at least into the separation slot; and f) a releasing installation for releasing the retention of the opened separation slot.

8 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 7 , further comprising a slitting installation for longitudinally slitting the jacket of the cable protection tube for forming a separation slot, the slitting installation being effective after or with the gathering installation, and with or prior to the opening installation.)

9 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 7 , further comprising a closing installation for closing the opened separation slot, the closing installation being effective with or after the releasing installation.

10 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the closing installation contains a plurality of locationally fixed actively and/or passively drivable oblique guide rollers.

11 . A submarine cable containing a plurality of conductors comprising power conductors and/or data conductors which are received within a cable protection tube and are protectively embedded therein, wherein two angular jacket strips of the cable protection tube that are located in an overlapping region and run in a longitudinal direction mutually overlap, and/or two longitudinal edges of a separation slot of the cable protection tube mutually abut, and/or the two longitudinal edges of a separation slot of the cable protection tube therebetween receive in a clamping manner a flexible closure tape.

12 . The submarine cable as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the two mutually overlapping angular jacket strips of the cable protection tube that run in the longitudinal direction bear on one another, and/or the mutually abutting longitudinal edges of the separation slot of the cable protection tube are interconnected in a sealing/watertight manner, and/or the longitudinal edges of a separation slot of the cable protection tube, having the closure tape lying therebetween, are interconnected in a sealing/watertight manner by way of an adhesive layer.

13 . The submarine cable as claimed in claim 11 , wherein a diameter of the cable protection tube is between 50% and 99%, of an original diameter of the cable protection tube, and/or the overlapping region, or the overlapping angular jacket strips, respectively, are/is between 1° and 180°.

14 . The use of the method as claimed in claim 1 , being utilized on a cable-laying ship.

15 . A method for laying a submarine cable according to claim 14 , wherein the completely made-up submarine cable after step 1f) without intermediate storage on the cable-laying ship, using a tension-relief reserve, is laid in the sea or on the seabed, respectively.

16 . The submarine cable as claimed in claim 11 , wherein a diameter of the cable protection tube is between 60% and 90%.

17 . The submarine cable as claimed in claim 11 , wherein a diameter of the cable protection tube is between 70% and 80%.

18 . The submarine cable as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the overlapping region, or the overlapping angular jacket strips, respectively, are/is between 30° and 45°.

Assignees

• Siemens Ag

Inventors

• Soerensen Johnny

Classifications

• H01B13/22 Primary

  Sheathing; Armouring; Screening; Applying other protective layers (H01B13/32 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01B13/32

  Filling or coating with impervious material · CPC title

• H01B7/14

  Submarine cables · CPC title

• H02G1/10 Primary

  in or under water · CPC title

• H01B13/26

  by winding, braiding or longitudinal lapping · CPC title