Subsea power cable

• US 7,285,726 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2006
• Issued: 10/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nexans Incorporated (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nexans Incorporated (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Bremnes, Jarle Jansen
• Primary Examiner(s): Mayo, III; William H.
• Application Number:
  US11/502,635
• Publication Number:
  US 20070044992A1
• Time in Patent Office: 439 Days
• Field of Search: 174/36, 174/110.R, 174/110.SC, 174/120.R, 174/120.SC, 174/102.R, 174/102.SC, 174/106.R, 174/108
• US Class Current: 174/102.00R
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 53/37 the heating current flowing directly through the pipe to be heated
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 7/14 Submarine cables
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 7/183 forming part of an outer sheath

Abstract

A subsea power cable includes a conductor encompassed by a layer of high voltage insulation material including inner and outer semiconducting layers. The insulated conductor is encompassed by a number of armouring elements each consisting of fibers enclosed within a semiconductive layer.

Claims

1. Subsea power cable comprising:

a conductor encompassed by a layer of high voltage insulation material including inner and outer semiconducting layers the insulated conductor being encompassed by a number of armouring elements serving to improve axial strength of the cable and to protect it from damage caused by outer impact forces, wherein the armouring elements each including fibers enclosed within a semiconductive layer, and the outermost layer of said cable being semiconductive.

2. Subsea cable according to claim 1, wherein the armouring elements are carbon fibers.

3. Subsea cable according to claim 1, wherein the armouring elements are polyaramide fibers.

4. Subsea cable according to claim 1, wherein the armouring elements are fiber reinforced plastic.

5. Subsea cable according to claim 1, wherein the armouring elements are oriented polyethylene resin fibers.

6. Subsea cable according to claim 1, wherein each armouring element is a bundle of high strength fibers which are encompassed by a sheath of a polymeric material.

7. Subsea cable according to claim 6, wherein at least two bundles of fibers are encompassed by a common sheath of polymeric material wherein the sheath has a nearly flat or nearly oval cross-section.

8. Subsea cable according to claim 6, wherein the sheath is a semiconductive polymeric material.

9. A heating system for crude oil pipelines comprising:

a thermally insulated pipeline in which at least a portion of the pipeline acts as a heating element, the heating element having connections to a subsea cable at opposite ends of the length of the pipeline defining the heating element, wherein the subsea cable is a subsea cable according to claim 1.