Characterization of the mechanical properties of low stiffness marine power cables through tension, bending, torsion, and fatigue testing

• The exploitation and harnessing of offshore marine renewable energy have led to an increased demand for reliable marine power cables with long service lives. These cables constitute a considerable share of the total installation cost of offshore renewable energy facilities and have high maintenance and repair costs. The critical characteristics of these power cables must be determined to reduce the risk of exceeding their ultimate strength or fatigue life, which can result in unwanted and unexpected failures. This study investigates dynamic marine power cables that are suitable for application in devices that harness energy from ocean currents, waves, and tides. Tension, bending, torsion, and fatigue tests were conducted on three dynamic power cables (1 kV, 3.6 kV, and 24 kV) that have high flexibility, i.e., low mechanical stiffness. The specimen lengths and axial pretension force were varied during the tests. The results are discussed in terms of the mechanical fatigue degradation and ultimate design load, and the key observations and lessons learned from the tests are clarified. The study’s main contribution is the results from physical component testing of the dynamic marine power cables without metallic armors, which can be used to calibrate numerical models of this type of dynamic marine power cable in the initial design of, e.g., inter-array cables between floating wave energy converters. The benefits offered by this type of cable and the importance of the results for creating reliable numerical simulation models in the future are highlighted.

Subject headings

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Maskinteknik -- Teknisk mekanik (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Mechanical Engineering -- Applied Mechanics (hsv//eng)

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Maskinteknik -- Farkostteknik (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Mechanical Engineering -- Vehicle Engineering (hsv//eng)

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Materialteknik -- Metallurgi och metalliska material (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Materials Engineering -- Metallurgy and Metallic Materials (hsv//eng)

Keyword

axial stiffness

bending stiffness

mechanical testing

fatigue testing

torsion stiffness

dynamic cable

marine power cables

fiber optics sensor

Publication and Content Type

art (subject category)

ref (subject category)