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EP-4333224-B1 - CABLE CAROUSEL FOR HEAVY-DUTY ELECTRIC CABLE OR UMBILICAL

EP4333224B1EP 4333224 B1EP4333224 B1EP 4333224B1EP-4333224-B1

Inventors

  • HELMENS, WESSEL
  • VAN WEES, Johannes Marinus Adrianus

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20220307

Claims (15)

  1. Cable carousel comprising a support grid (1) and upstanding supports (2, 2') on the support grid (1) that confine a region in which a heavy-duty electric cable or umbilical can be received and supported by the support grid (1), wherein the upstanding supports (2, 2') are placeable on the support grid (1) at preselected positions defining both an inner barrier (7) and an outer barrier (8) so as to tailor the cable carousel to a dimension between said inner and outer barriers (7, 8) which is necessary and sufficient to store a predetermined length of said cable, wherein the cable carousel is provided with shores (9) connecting the inner barrier (7) to the support grid (1), wherein the shores (9) connect to a connecting organ (12) which is centrally provided within the cable carousel, and the connecting organ (12) is connectable or connected to the support grid (1), characterized in that the connecting organ (12) and the support grid (1) are each provided with an aperture, wherein the aperture of the connecting organ (12) and the aperture of the support grid (1) are alignable, and said apertures are equipped to receive a locking pile (13) which can be fixedly or removably mounted to the connecting organ (12).
  2. Cable carousel according to claim 1, characterized in that the shores (9) are connectable to the inner barrier (7) at one of a series of preselected positions (11) above the support grid (1).
  3. Cable carousel according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the shores (9) are regularly distributed in a region confined by the inner barrier (7).
  4. Cable carousel according to any one of claims 1 - 3, characterized in that the shores (9) are extendable and fixable at a preselected length.
  5. Cable carousel or according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that the support grid (1) is equipped to cooperate with a yoke (15) of a transport vessel, which is arranged to receive the locking pile (13) that is provided through the aligned apertures of the connecting organ (12) and the support grid (1).
  6. Cable carousel according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that within the support grid (1) reinforcement beams (16) are provided that are regularly distributed in a star pattern, and which star-pattern-beams (16) are connected to a central connecting point (12') within the support grid (1) and which is positioned on a virtual vertical axis which is encircled by the inner and outer barriers (7, 8).
  7. Cable carousel according to claim 6, characterized in that the central connecting point (12') is positioned in line with and below the connecting organ (12) which is provided on the support grid (1).
  8. Cable carousel according to any one of claims 4-7, characterized in that the inner barrier (7) is connected with horizontal beams (17) immediately above the support grid (1) to the connecting organ (12).
  9. Cable carousel according to claim 8, characterized in that the horizontal beams (17) are provided in a star pattern above and corresponding to the star pattern of the reinforcement beams (16) within the support grid (1).
  10. Cable carousel according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the horizontal beams (17) have a preselected length and their connection with the inner barrier (7) and the connecting organ (12) is dismountable.
  11. Cable carousel according to any one of claims 4-10, characterized in that the inner barrier (7) is provided with horizontal bars (18) that are parallel to and distant from the support grid (1), and said horizontal bars (18) are connected to the locking pile (13) mounted in the connecting organ (12).
  12. Cable carousel according to claim 11, characterized in that the horizontal bars (18) are extendable and fixable at a preselected length.
  13. Cable carousel according to any one of claims 1-12, characterized in that the support grid (1) is assembled from bottom supports (1'), wherein said bottom supports (1') and/or the upstanding side supports (2, 2') may be assembled together with dimensions not exceeding the dimensions of a standard sea container.
  14. Cable carousel according to any one of claims 1-13, characterized in that the support grid (1) is provided on a series of load carrying movable vehicles, preferably self-propelled modular trailers (5).
  15. Vessel provided with a cable carousel according to any one of claims 1-14, characterized in that the vessel is provided with a yoke (15) which is equipped to receive the locking pile (13) that is provided through the aligned apertures of the connecting organ (12) and the support grid (1).

Description

The invention relates to a cable carousel comprising a support grid and upstanding supports on the support grid that confine a region in which a heavy-duty electric cable or umbilical can be received and supported by the support grid, wherein the upstanding supports are placeable on the support grid at preselected positions defining both an inner barrier and an outer barrier so as to tailor the cable carousel to a dimension between said inner and outer barriers which is necessary and sufficient to store a predetermined length of said cable. The cable carousel is provided with shores connecting the inner barrier to the support grid. Such a cable carousel is disclosed in EP 3 260 751 and is used when a heavy-duty electric cable is to be provided between an offshore windmill installation and an intermediate electrical transfer station, as well as when such a heavy-duty electric cable is to be provided between such an electrical transfer station and an onshore connection to the electric grid. The known cable carousel of EP 3 260 751 can be tailored with dimensions to suit the particular heavy-duty electric cable that has to be supported and stored in or on the cable carousel. The costs of an offshore windmill park are for the larger part attributable to the costs of the heavy-duty electric cables to be installed and the cable carousels to be used for transport, the cost of shipping the cable carousel with the cable, and the labour costs of putting the heavy-duty electric cables in place. In the state-of-the-art wherein an heavy-duty electric cable or umbilical is to be collected from a manufacturing site overseas, a ship with an empty cable carousel has to travel to the manufacturing site, upon arrival at the manufacturing site the electric cable or umbilical must be wound onto the cable carousel and embarked on the ship, and the ship can then travel back with the carousel provided with the electric cable or umbilical to the intended destination where the heavy-duty electric cable or umbilical is intended to be used. All in all this is an expensive routine since it involves much time to embark the cable carousel with the electric cable or umbilical on the ship, the traveling time of the ship, and in general the idle time of the ship. This idle time not only relates to the time required for embarking the cable carousel with the cable, but also for disembarking the cable carousel with the cable after having arrived at the destination where the heavy electric cable or umbilical must be put to use. It is an object of the invention to make embarking and disembarking of the cable carousel with the cable an easier task which can be accomplished quicker. According to the invention a cable carousel is proposed in accordance with one or more of the appended claims. In a first aspect of the invention wherein the shores connect to a connecting organ which is centrally provided within the cable carousel, and wherein the connecting organ is connectable or connected to the support grid, the connecting organ and the support grid are each provided with an aperture, wherein the aperture of the connecting organ and the aperture of the support grid are alignable, and said apertures are equipped to receive a locking pile. By applying this feature the cable carousel with the cable stored in the carousel can be easily secured. It is further preferred that the shores are connectable to the inner barrier at one of a series of preselected positions above the support grid. This enables, next to a course adjustment of the length of the shores themselves, a finetuning to the required dimensions of the cable carousel. This enables tailoring of the cable carousel to the length of the cable to be transported. Moreover the footprint area that is required for placing the carousel with the cable on the vessel remains limited to the very least that is required for this purpose. In another aspect of the invention which can be applied in combination with the feature mentioned in the previous paragraph, reinforcement beams are provided within the support grid, which beams are regularly distributed in a star pattern and are connected to a central connecting point within the support grid, which is positioned on a virtual vertical axis which is encircled by the inner and outer barriers. This construction is particularly suitable for transport of very heavy cables due to their extended lengths, and which are accordingly more heavy than normal. It is preferred that the shores are regularly distributed in a region confined by the inner barrier. This provides a more or less uniform security provision that fixes the cable carousel with the cable in all directions, so that transport the vessel motions of pitch, jaw and heave will not adversely affect the security of mounting of the cable carousel with the cable on the vessel. It is further preferred that the shores are extendable and fixable at a preselected length. This enables, again with limited means, th