Water blocking electrical cable

• US 7,750,244 B1
• Filed: 06/13/2008
• Issued: 07/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Cable Technologies Corporation (General Cable Corporation)
• Original Assignee: General Cable Technologies Corporation (General Cable Corporation)
• Inventors: Melding, Christopher T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Chau N
• Application Number:
  US12/139,037
• Time in Patent Office: 753 Days
• Field of Search: 174/113.R, 174/116
• US Class Current: 174/113.00R
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 7/288 using hygroscopic material or material swelling in the presence of liquid
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 30/14 Extreme weather resilient electric power supply systems, e.g. strengthening power lines or underground power cables

Abstract

An electrical cable for shipboard use that can block water is disclosed. The electrical cable includes conductors, water swellable tapes, water swellable yarns, solid fillers, and a jacket. Each conductor is substantially wrapped with water swellable tape. The conductors are disposed adjacent to each other thereby forming interstitial voids between each of the conductors. Solid fillers and water swellable yarns are alternatively disposed in each interstitial void. Additional water swellable tape substantially envelopes the conductors, water swellable yarns, and solid fillers. The jacket is disposed on the outermost peripheral surface of the electrical cable.

Claims

1. An electrical cable comprising:

a plurality of conductors, each of said plurality of conductors being substantially wrapped with a water swellable tape, said plurality of conductors being disposed adjacent to each other thereby forming an inner set of interstitial voids and an outer set of interstitial voids between each of said plurality of conductors;

a plurality of solid fillers and a plurality of water swellable yarns disposed in said inner set of interstitial voids and said outer set of interstitial voids, each of the plurality of solid fillers and each of the plurality of water swellable yarns individually disposed in one of said inner set of interstitial voids and said outer set of interstitial voids; and

a jacket disposed on an outermost surface of said electrical cable,

wherein said plurality of solid fillers and said plurality of water swellable yarns are disposed in said inner set of interstitial voids and said outer set of interstitial voids such that said electrical cable has a substantially circular cross section.

2. An electrical cable according to claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of conductors is composed of a plurality of conductive strands.

3. An electrical cable according to claim 2, further comprising a waterblocking filler material on each of said plurality of conductive strands.

4. An electrical cable according to claim 1, further comprising a dielectric material substantially surrounding each of said plurality of conductors.

5. An electrical cable according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of water swellable yarns are disposed in said inner set of interstitial voids and said plurality of solid fillers are disposed in said outer set of interstitial voids.

6. An electrical cable according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of solid fillers are disposed in said inner set of interstitial voids and said plurality of water swellable yarns are disposed in said outer set of interstitial voids.

7. An electrical cable according to claim 1, further comprising:

additional water swellable tape substantially enveloping said plurality of conductors, said plurality of water swellable yarns, and said plurality of solid fillers.

8. An electrical cable according to claim 7, wherein said additional water swellable tape is disposed helically along a longitudinal direction of said electrical cable.

9. An electrical cable according to claim 7, wherein said additional water swellable tape has an overlap of approximately 0% to approximately 10%.