System for Regulating the Temperature of Cables

Abstract

In particular, the invention relates to a system for regulating the temperature of a cable which is laid at least partly in a body of water and on land, said system including: means for collecting water on the land-side such that water can be collected into said means and can be dispensed out of said means; means for controlling a quantity of water such that a quantity of water flowing out of the means for collecting water on the land-side or flowing into said means from the body of water can be controlled; and means for cooling a cable, said means surrounding the cable in the form of a sleeve in at least one section of the means for collecting water on the land-side up to a body of water, wherein a cavity through which the water flows in order to cool the cable is formed between the cable and the means for cooling the cable. The invention additionally relates to the use of a system according to the invention.

Claims

1. A system for regulating the temperature of a cable laid at least partly in the transition from land to a body of water, comprising: means for collecting water on the land-side, such that water can be collected into said means and dispensed out of said means; means for controlling a quantity of water such that a quantity of water flowing out of or into said means for collecting water on the land-side can be controlled; and means for cooling a cable, said means surrounded the cable in the form of a sleeve in at least one section of the means for collecting water on the land-side up to a body of water, wherein a cavity through which the water flows in order to cool the cable is formed between the cable and the means for cooling the cable, wherein, the means for collecting water on the land-side is at least one water collection or catch basin located on the land or the land-side, and wherein the sea represents the body of water, and during high tide water flows from the sea through the means for cooling the cable into the means for collecting water on the land-side, and during low tide the wafer from these flows back into the sea.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising: means for guiding the cable such that the cable is placed in a guided-manner inside the means for guiding the cable.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the means for guiding the cable comprise a cable protection system such that the cable is guided from a land exit point onto a bottom of a body of water.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the means for guiding the cable comprises a tube such that the cable placed within the tube.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the tube is double-walled so that the water flows in a cavity formed between the double-wall.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the land-side outlet of the cable is below the lowest possible water level of the body of water.

7. The system according to claim 6, further comprising: a transfer station arranged on the land-side, the cable being led from the means for collecting water on the land-side to the transfer station.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the means for controlling a quantity of water comprise a valve.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the means for controlling a quantity of water is put in a maintenance mode so that the cable is removable from the means for guiding the cable.

10. The system according to claim 9, further comprising: further means for cooling a further cable, which encase a further cable in the manner of a sheath at least in a section from the means for collecting water on the land-side into the body of water, wherein a cavity is formed between the further cable and the means for cooling the further cable, through which cavity the water flows.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the cable and/or the further cable each transport electrical energy generated by a wind turbine or a wind farm comprising a plurality of wind turbines.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the means for collecting water on the land-side comprise a natural water reservoir, or a man-made water reservoir.

13. (canceled)

14. A use of a system according to claim 1 for connecting at least one offshore wind turbine.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0060] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0061] Referring to FIG. 1, a system 100 is designed and/or arranged for regulating a temperature of a cable 110 laid at least partially in the transition U from land to water (here the sea). The system 100 comprises means 130 for collecting water on the land-side, such that water 150 is collected in said means 130 and is dispensable from said means 130. The system 100 further comprises means 120 for controlling a quantity of water, such that a quantity of water 150 flowing out of or into the means 130 for collecting water on the land-side is controllable. Further, the system 100 comprises means 140 for cooling a cable, in particular for cooling the cable 110, which encases the cable 110 in a form of a sleeve at least in a section from the means 130 for collecting water on the land-side to the sea. A cavity is formed between the cable 110 and the means 140 for cooling the cable, through which the water 150 flows. The system further comprises a transfer station 160 to which one end of the cable 110 is connected. Not shown in FIG. 1 is that the other end of the cable 110 is connected to an offshore wind turbine, or an offshore wind farm, so that electrical energy generated by the offshore wind turbine or the offshore wind farm can be transported to the transfer station (e.g. comprising a transformer) by means of the cable 110.

[0062] In the present case, the means 130 for collecting water on the land-side is a natural collecting basin for water 150, which is suitable for collecting at least the quantity of water 150 that is needed to be able to cool the cable 110 in the transition U from land, in this case the dune 170, to the sea.

[0063] The means 140 for cooling a cable, in this case cable 110, comprise a tube which is laid in the sea from the land using the HDD method, i.e. horizontal directional drilling method. The seaward exit of the cable 110 is not directly at the seabed MB, so that a height difference H must still be bridged in order to deposit the cable 110 in a controlled manner on the seabed MB, from where it extends to an offshore wind turbine or an offshore wind farm.

[0064] It can be seen that the sea side outlet of the cable 110 is higher than the outlet of the cable 110 within the natural catch basin 130. If the bore of the tube 180 were to rise from the sea-side to the land-side, the tube could at some point be free of water, so that sufficient cooling of the cable 110 in transition U can no longer be guaranteed.

[0065] At the exit point of the tube 180 into the means 130 for collecting water on the land-side, a valve is further arranged as means 120 for controlling a quantity of water 150 in order to be able to control and/or regulate the quantity of water 150 flowing through the tube 180 for cooling the cable 110. The sea-side outlet of the cable 110 is further below the lowest possible water level 200 (here: the sea level), so that it can be ensured that sea water can always flow or flow into the natural collection basin 130 at least from the sea.

[0066] Instead of concrete (or a type of concrete), with which the tube 180 could also be filled, it is intended to let the water 150 flow through the tube 180. Although concrete or different types of concrete have a better thermal conductivity than air, it is disadvantageous especially in case of maintenance or repair and the thermal conductivity of water is also better than that of air. Once the tube 180 is filled with concrete, the cable 110 cannot be easily removed from the tube 180. Often a new tube must be laid, e.g. using the HDD method, and a new cable 110 must be pulled into the newly laid tube.

[0067] If air is left in the tube 180, the thermal load of the cable 110 in transition U would be significantly increased, as air acts more as an insulator than, for example, concrete.

[0068] Exemplary embodiments according to all aspects make it possible that the exit point of the well or, in its wake, of the tube 180 on the land side, i.e. within the means for collecting water 130 on land, lies below sea level. Further, the cable 110 may exit, for example, in a controlled manner below the sea surface or at least below the maximum possible sea level.

[0069] Instead of the natural catch basin 130, a basin made of concrete can also be specially built so that the water 150 can flow into and out of the tube 180. The operating principle is identical.

[0070] The water 150 can flow or flow through the tube 180 for cooling the cable 110, for example, either only by the tides, i.e. ebb and flow through the tube 180. Alternatively or additionally, the water 150 may flow or flow through the tube 180 on the land-side, e.g. within the means for collecting water 130 on the land side, regulated by means of a valve and/or a pump. In the latter possibility, the water 150 may be selectively discharged, e.g. in certain situations, e.g. when increased cooling of the cable is required due to an increased amount of electrical energy to be transported by means of the cable 110, to give just one non-limiting example.

[0071] The embodiments of the present invention disclosed in this specification and the optional features and characteristics indicated in each case in this respect are also to be understood as disclosed in all combinations with each other. In particular, the description of a feature encompassed by an embodiment example—unless explicitly stated to the contrary—is not to be understood as meaning that the feature is indispensable or essential for the function of the embodiment example. The sequence of the method steps disclosed in this specification in the individual flowcharts is not mandatory; alternative sequences of the process steps are conceivable. The method steps can be implemented in various ways, such as implementation in software (by program instructions), hardware or a combination of both to implement the method steps.

[0072] Terms used in the patent claims such as “comprise”, “have”, “include”, “contain” and the like do not exclude further elements or steps. The wording “at least in part” covers both the case “in part” and the case “in full”. The phrase “and/or” is intended to be understood as disclosing both the alternative and the combination, i.e. “A and/or B” means “(A) or (B) or (A and B)”. The use of the indefinite subject-matter does not exclude a plural. A single apparatus may perform the functions of a plurality of units or apparatuses mentioned in the claims. Reference signs indicated in the patent claims are not to be regarded as limitations of the means and steps employed.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0073] 100 System [0074] 110 Cable [0075] 120 Means for controlling a quantity of water [0076] 130 Means for collecting water on the land-side [0077] 140 Means for cooling a cable [0078] 150 Water [0079] 160 Transfer station [0080] 170 Land (e.g. beach, dune, or the like) [0081] 180 HDD Tube [0082] 190 Cable protection system [0083] 200 maximum water level [0084] U Transition land/water [0085] H Height difference for guiding the cable to the bottom of the body of water [0086] M Bottom of the body of water