B5.4 9th International Conference on Insulated Power Cables B5.

Thermal Rating of J tubes using Finite Element Analysis Techniques

Richard CHIPPENDALE (1), Priank CANGY (1), James PILGRIM (1);

1 - Tony Davies High Voltage Laboratory, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK, rd.chippendale@soton.ac.uk,
pc8g11@soton.ac.uk, jp2@ecs.soton.ac.uk

-1
ABSTRACT coefficient of volumetric expansion of air [K ]
Temperature [K]
∆
The thermal continuous rating of a wind farm export cable
is often limited by the section through a J tube from an temperature difference between the maximum
offshore platform down to the sea bed. As no conductor temperature and the cable surface
internationally standard method exists, a range of [K]
∆
calculations are used. This paper develops a 3D Finite
element analysis model, which is compared to two temperature difference between the cable
previously published methods. The FEA predictions have surface and the tube [K]
demonstrated that in some cases a 2D cross section ∆ temperature difference between the tube and
model could be used to predict the continuous rating, the ambient [K]
which validates the key assumption within the previous
analytical models. Furthermore by comparing the Maximum conductor temperature [K]
continuous seasonal ratings, it is evident the previous ! Stefan Boltzmann constant
analytical methods predict a more conservative rating " reflectivity, which is equal to 1-#
#
than the FEA model.
emissivity of surface
KEYWORDS $ kinetic viscosity [%& ' () ]
J tube, Current Rating, Finite element analysis

Subscripts
NOMENCLATURE
2 IR inside surface of J tube
A surface area [m ]
OR outside surface of J tube
diameter [m]
a armour
L length of the J tube air section [m]
air air
Pr prandtl number
-1 amb ambient surrounding J tube
T total thermal resistance [KmW ]
c conductor
Wc power dissipation from the cable surface
-2 i dielectric
[Wm ]
J Cable surface
We power dissipation from the J tube to the
-2 s sheath
ambient [Wm ]
Wi power dissipation from the cable surface to J
tube [Wm ]
-2 INTRODUCTION
c empirical constant used in calculating hhb The installation of offshore wind farms presents a complex
-2
g gravitational acceleration (9.81 ms ) set of cable rating challenges which need to be
hera combined radiation and convection heat considered, as compared to standard on-shore cable
transfer coefficient for the cable surface installations [1]. This study investigates the thermal profile
-2 -1 of the export cable from a wind farm as it passes through
[Wm K ]
ℎ
the J tube of an offshore platform and runs down towards
heat transfer coefficient the sea bed. This section of the cable route may often
-1 -1
k thermal conductivity (Wm K ) present a limit on the continuous current rating of the
n empirical constant used in calculating hhb whole route.

-1
thermal loss within a cable component [Wm ]
Whilst there are published standards to predict the
_ convective flux from J tube surface to ambient thermal rating of a buried cable [2,3], there are no
-2
[Wm ] internationally agreed standards for predicting the thermal
_ convective flux from cable surface to J tube rating of an export cable within a J tube. This study has
-2 reviewed a series of different modeling approaches to
[Wm ]
radiation flux from cable surface to J tube investigate the thermal profile within the J tube.
-2
[Wm ] The study starts by reviewing two previously published
radiation flux from J tube surface to ambient methods to predict the thermal continuous (steady state)
-2 rating of a J tube. Due to their analytical or empirical
[Wm ]
solar radiation [Wm ]
-2 origins these methods do not consider a complete set of
-2 physical processes. To overcome these limitations this
total thermal loss within the cable [Wm ]
study has developed a 3D finite element analysis (FEA)
r radius [m] model of a cable system within a J tube. The temperature
Absorptivity profile predicted by the FEA model is considered in detail,

Jicable'15 - Versailles 21-25 June, 2015 1/6