WO2019101534A1

WO2019101534A1 - Trailing cable for trailing in water, trailing antenna and watercraft

Info

Publication number: WO2019101534A1
Application number: PCT/EP2018/080602
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ulrich Barg
Original assignee: Atlas Elektronik Gmbh
Priority date: 2017-11-22
Filing date: 2018-11-08
Publication date: 2019-05-31
Also published as: EP3713832A1; DE102017127558A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a trailing cable for trailing in water, wherein the trailing cable has a cable core for transmitting a tensile force, energy and/or information and a cable sheath for insulation, and the trailing cable has a surface structure element connected to the cable sheath in a materially bonded manner, and the surface structure element has an elevation and/or an indentation with respect to the outside diameter of the cable sheath free of the surface structure element, such that twisting, vibration and/or drag of the trailing cable is reduced. The invention furthermore relates to a trailing antenna for trailing in water and to a watercraft for trailing a trailing antenna.

Description

Tow cable for towing in the water, towing aerial and water vehicle

[01] The invention relates to a towing cable for towing in the water, wherein the tow cable has a cable core for transmitting a tensile force, an energy and / or information and a cable sheath for insulation. Furthermore, the invention relates to a towed antenna for towing in the water and a watercraft for towing a towed antenna.

[02] For underwater use, traction cables, traction cables and / or trailing antennas usually have flow resistance-optimized stabilizers (so-called hard and soft fairings) in order to reduce twisting, vibration and drag of the cable, cable and / or towed antenna. This allows a greater depth for the given cable, rope and / or the predefined towed antenna in the water to be set.

[03] A disadvantage of using the known hard and / or solid stabilizers (hard fairings) is that they can not be wound in a plurality of layers on a drum aboard a ship, damaged by the tensile force of the cable when wound up and when deploying the cable and / or the towed antenna a certain deflection angle from the drum is needed. Consequently, cables with hard fairings require a special, complex drum design. The soft and / or flexible (soft fairings) stabilizers are in danger of being damaged when winding the cable on a drum in multiple layers. For these reasons, both hard and soft fairings only have a limited service life, so that damaged stabilizers must be laboriously replaced or the entire towing cable and / or the towed antenna must be replaced. [04] The object of the invention is to improve the state of the art.

[05] The problem is solved by a trailing cable for towing in the water, wherein the trailing cable has a cable core for transmitting a tensile force, energy and / or information and a cable sheath for insulation, wherein the trailing cable ver a cohesively ver to the cable sheath - Bound surface structure element and the surface structure element has a protrusion and / or a depression with respect to an outer diameter of the cable sheath free of the surface structure element has, so that a twisting, vibration and / or drag of the trailing cable is reduced.

[06] Thus, a tow cable is provided which is easily wound and unwound on a drum of a winch on board without damage to the surface structure element. In addition, no specific deflection angle is necessary for winding and unwinding and no special drum design.

[07] Because the surface structure element is connected to the cable sheath in a materially bonded manner, an improved optimization of the flow resistance of the trailing cable can be realized since there is a homogeneous transition between the cable sheath and the surface structure element without an attachment means arranged therebetween. Since the surface structural element does not have to be fastened separately to the cable, the risk of the cable catching and / or twisting on the surface structural element is reduced.

[08] Furthermore, the production of the trailing cable is simplified because the cohesive connection makes it possible to dispense with separate production of the surface structural element and the cable sheath and can be manufactured in one operation. [09] An essential idea of the invention is based on the fact that a surface structure element is already materially bonded to the cable sheath during cable production and free of resistance from the surface structure element as a result of an elevation and / or depression of the surface structure element with respect to an outer diameter of the cable sheath - mated stabilizer twisting, vibration and / or a pull of the cable is reduced.

[10] The following terminology is explained:

[11] A "tow cable" is in particular a cable for hauling an object in the water. A towing cable may in particular also be a pull cable and / or a pull cable. A tow cable, in particular by train, initiates or maintains a mechanical process. In particular, a tow cable transmits the traction of a ship to a towed body to be towed by the water and / or a towed antenna to be towed by the water. A tow cable may be an electrical and / or optical cable.

[12] A "cable core" is used in particular for transmitting a tractive force, energy and / or information. A cable core has, in particular, a reinforcement, for example an aramid braiding, and / or a single or multi-core composite of wires (individual line), the latter serving to transmit energy and / or information. In particular, a cable core has an optical conductor, such as an optical waveguide, and / or an electrical conductor. An electrical conductor has in particular copper, aluminum or a copper alloy.

[13] A "cable sheath" is in particular a layer on the outside around the cable core. The cable sheath is used in particular for the insulation and / or shielding of the cable core and the protection of the trailing cable against external influences. When towing the cable sheath is in particular in contact with the water. The cable sheath has in particular plastics such as polyolefins, polyurethane, polyamides, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrenes, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and / or silicone.

[14] A "surface structure element" is, in particular, a geometric structure which is materially connected to and / or connected to the cable jacket in order to achieve targeted flow guidance around the towing cable and / or the towed antenna. In particular, the pull through the towing cable and / or the towed antenna is reduced by the surface structure element, so that a greater water depth and / or speed can be set for a given towing cable and / or a predefined towed antenna. In addition, vortex shedding on the surface structure element reduces turbulences, vibrations and / or the self-resonance of the towing cable and / or the towed antenna.

[15] The surface structure element has at least one elevation and / or at least one depression with respect to the outer diameter of the cable sheath without the elevation and / or depression. A surface structural element is, for example, an elongated elevation, which is guided spirally on the cable sheath around the longitudinal axis of the trailing cable. A surface structure element has in particular a groove or a plurality of grooves, a nub or a plurality of nubs, a circular shape and / or a tire profile.

[16] "Cohesive" means that the connection between the surface structure element and the cable sheath is held together in particular by atomic and / or molecular forces. The cohesive connection is in particular not solvable without the connection being destroyed. In particular, a high transferability of forces and moments is made possible by the integral connection. [17] An "outer diameter" of the cable sheath is in particular the distance between the center of the cable and the outer edge of the cable sheath.

[18] A "twisting" is in particular a twisting and / or a helical winding of the trailing cable and / or the

Trailing antenna.

[19] A "vibration" is in particular a periodic, mostly medium to high frequency and low amplitude mechanical oscillation of a towing cable and / or a towed antenna. In particular, a vibration also includes the natural resonance and / or natural frequency with which the trailing cable and / or the trailing antenna oscillate as their own form after a single excitation.

[20] A "train" is, in particular, a force of the towing cable and / or the towed antenna, which, when towed by the towing cable and / or the towed antenna, is set against a pulling force, for example, by a towed ship. A train is in particular a flow resistance of the towing cable and / or the towed antenna as the force which is opposed to the towing movement.

[21] A "pulling force" is in particular a force that pulls on a body. In the traction is in particular the force, which at a

Trailing cable and / or a towed antenna pulls while hauling in the water.

[22] In a further embodiment of the towed antenna, the surface-area structural element has a plurality of elevations and / or a plurality of depressions. [23] Thus, a plurality of elevations and / or several depressions can be arranged and / or distributed in a targeted manner over the cross section and / or the length of the trailing cable for optimizing the flow.

[24] In this case, the plurality of elevations and / or multiple depressions can be executed individually and / or connected.

[25] In order to achieve optimum profiling and flow around the towing cable, the elevations and / or depressions are regularly or irregularly formed and / or arranged.

[26] Thus, the elevations may have different heights (as a distance from the outer diameter of the cable sheath fei of the Oberflächenstrukturele- ment to the outer edge of the respective survey) and / or different widths and the wells have different depths and / or widths. Likewise, the elevations and / or depressions may be arranged uniformly or irregularly relative to one another and / or over the cross section and / or the length of the towing cable.

[27] In a further embodiment, the surface structure element is designed along the trailing cable.

[28] Thus, the surface structure element can be adapted to the length of the towing cable and / or to a desired flow guidance along this length.

In order to enable a rotationally symmetrical flow guidance even when the trawl cable is rotated in the water, the elevation or the elevations and / or the depression or depressions are or are embodied spirally along the trailing cable. [30] "Spiral" (also helical) means in particular that the elevation and / or elevations and / or the depression and / or depressions are or are guided in a curve which runs around the longitudinal axis of the towed antenna. Here, the curve winds in particular with a constant slope or a variable slope around the cable sheath and / or the longitudinal axis of the trailing cable.

[31] In a further embodiment of the trailing cable, the surface structural element and the cable sheath are integrally formed, wherein the surface structure element is complementary or alternatively designed to the cable sheath.

[32] Thus, the surface structure element and the cable sheath are present as a single piece and / or part.

[33] It is particularly advantageous if the surface structure element at the same time also forms the cable sheath. Consequently, the surface structural element and the cable sheath can be manufactured in one work step.

[34] In order to simplify the manufacture of the towing cable, the surface structure element and / or the cable jacket has or have an extrudable plastic.

[35] Thus, both the surface structure element and the cable sheath can be manufactured by extrusion.

[36] Consequently, the surface structure element and the cable sheath can be extruded separately, for example by first extruding the cable sheath and then extruding the surface structure element onto the still warm sheath. Likewise, the surface structure element and the cable sheath can be extruded simultaneously in an extrusion head. In addition, for the extrusion of the surface structural element and the Kabelmantels the same plastic and / or different plastics are used. As a result, the production can be carried out in one operation at the same and / or similar temperatures.

[37] By "extrudable plastic" is meant, in particular, a plastic which is pressed as a molding compound through a molding die to form an extruded molding. In particular, the extrudable plastic is pressed into a surface structure element and / or a cable sheath, wherein the cable core is sheathed and / or coated. An extrudable plastic is in particular the above-mentioned plastics from which a cable sheath can be made.

[38] In a further embodiment, the tow cable has a towed body.

[39] As a result, the orientation and / or depth of the towing cable and / or a towed antenna in the water can additionally be adjusted by means of the towed body. Above all, a tow cable can be aligned substantially vertically in the water by means of a towed body.

[40] Furthermore, the active part of a towing vehicle can be arranged in the towed body.

[41] A "towed body" is a body which is towed in the water in combination with a tow cable and / or several trailing cables and / or a towed antenna. In particular, a towed body may be arranged between two trailing cables and / or as an end fin of a trailing antenna. A towed body may for example be hollow, have the active part of a towed sonar and / or be filled with a ballast weight. A towed body in particular has a specific shape for guiding the flow. [42] In a further aspect of the invention, the object is achieved by a towed antenna for towing in the water, the towed antenna having a previously described tow cable.

[43] Thus, a flow resistance optimized, low-twist and low-vibration towed antenna is provided. It is particularly advantageous that a higher water depth of the towed antenna can be adjusted due to the trailing cable profiled in accordance with the invention. In addition, the towed antenna can be easily removed and introduced by means of a winch and stored on board a ship, since the towed antenna can be wound up and / or unwound in several layers without damage to the surface structural element.

[44] In an additional aspect of the invention, the object is achieved by a watercraft for towing a towed antenna in the water, wherein the watercraft has a previously described trailing cable and / or a towed antenna described above. [45] Thus, a watercraft is provided with which a towing cable and / or a towed antenna with a flow-optimized surface structural element can be wound up and unwound free of damage and thus discharged into the water and / or retrieved on board ,

[46] A "watercraft" is a vehicle that can travel in particular on the water, in the water and / or under water. At a

Watercraft may be, for example, a tug and / or a submarine.

[47] In the following, the invention will be explained in more detail by means of exemplary embodiments. Show it Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a

Trailing cable with a one-piece cable sheath with a flow element,

Figure 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a

Tow cable with nubs arranged on the cable sheath,

Figure 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a

Trailing cable with a one-piece cable sheath with elevations and depressions and

Figure 4 is a schematic, not to scale representation of a towed ship with a winch, two trailing cables and a towed antenna.

[48] A tow cable 101 has a cable core 103 as an electrical conductor and an aramid mesh 105 associated with the cable core 103 for reinforcing and ensuring tensile strength. The Aramidgeflecht 105 is surrounded by an integrally running cable sheath 107 with a flow element 113. The flow element 113 protrudes on one side beyond the cable jacket outer diameter 109, which is present without the flow element 113. The one-piece cable sheath 107 with the cohesively connected flow element 113 is produced by extrusion in a production step by pressing polyurethane through a molding die.

[49] In one alternative, a tow cable 201 has a cable core 203 with four electrical conductors 211 inside the cable core. Externally, the cable core 203 has an aramid mesh 205 for reinforcement. The cable core 203 with the aramid mesh 205 is surrounded by a cable sheath 207. On the cable sheath 207 outside six studs 213 are evenly arranged wel each represent an increase relative to a Kabelmantelaußendurchmesser 209 free of the nubs 213.

The cable sheath 207 is made of polyamide, wherein at the same time the knobs 213 are applied from polyethylene and cohesively bonded to the polyamide of the cable sheath 207 by coextrusion.

[51] In one alternative, a tow cable 301 has a cable core 303 with an externally disposed aramid braid 305 and four electrical conductors 311 disposed inside. The cable core 303 with the Aramidgeflecht 305 is surrounded by a cable sheath 307, which is made in one piece and regularly distributed four elevations 313, each having a therebetween Neten recess 315 has. The four recesses 315 lie within a cable jacket outer diameter 309 without an elevation and without a recess, and the four elevations 313 lie outside of this outer cable jacket diameter 309.

The cable sheath 307 with the elevations 313 and the recesses 315 has been manufactured directly by extrusion by pressing polyurethane through a single molding.

[53] A tugboat 121 travels on a water surface 123 and has a winch 125 at a stern. At the winch 125, the trailing cable 101 is arranged as a first trailing cable, which has a plurality of flow elements 113. At the end of the trailing cable 101, a towed body 127 is arranged, on which in turn the trailing cable 201 is arranged as a second trailing cable. At the end of the second trailing cable 201 hangs a towed antenna 129, which has a plurality of hydrophones 131.

[54] Due to the embodiment of the trailing cable 101 having a plurality of flow members 113 integrally connected to the cable jacket 107 and the trailing cable 201 having the nubs 213, twisting becomes a vibration and a pull of the trailing cables 101 and 201 is reduced so that below the water surface 123 the trailing cable 201 is substantially vertically aligned and the trailing antenna 129 is horizontally stable at great depth, and underwater hydrophones 131 are used to record underwater sound signals with high sensitivity. After the towing process, the towing cables 101 and 201 and the towed antenna 129 are rewound without damage to the winch 125 with disengagement of the towed body 127.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

101 tow cable

103 cable core

105 aramid braid

107 one-piece cable sheath with flow element

109 Cable sheath outer diameter without flow element

113 flow element

121 tugboat

123 water surface

125 winds

127 tow bodies

129 towed antenna

131 hydrophone

201 tow cable

203 core cable

205 Aramid Braid

207 cable sheath

209 Cable sheath outside diameter without knobs

211 electrical conductors

213 pimples

301 tow cable

303 cable core

305 aramid braid

307 cable sheath

309 Cable jacket outer diameter without elevations and depressions 311 electrical conductors

313 increase

315 deepening

Claims

claims:

1. trailing cable (101, 201, 301) for towing in the water, the trailing cable having a cable core (103, 203, 303) for transmitting a tensile force, energy and / or information and a cable sheath (107, 207, 307 ) for insulation, characterized in that the trailing cable has a cohesively connected to the cable sheath surface structure element (113) and the surface structure element has a projection (213, 313) and / or a recess (315) relative to an outer diameter of the cable sheath (109, 209, 309) free of the surface structure element, so that a twisting, a vibration and / or a pull of the towing cable is reduced.

2. trailing cable according to claim 1, characterized in that the surface chenstrukturelement has a plurality of elevations and / or a plurality of recesses.

3. trailing cable according to claim 2, characterized in that the surveys and / or the recesses are formed regularly and irregularly and / or arranged.

4. trailing cable according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the surface structure element along the trailing cable is executed.

5. Towing cable according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the elevation or the elevations and / or the depression or depressions is designed spirally along the trailing cable or are.

6. Towing cable according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the surface structure element and the cable sheath are integrally formed, wherein the surface structure element is complementary or alternative to the cable sheath.

7. Towing cable according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the surface structure element and / or the cable sheath comprises or have an extrudable plastic.

8. trailing cable according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the trailing cable has a towed body (127).

9. towed antenna (129) for towing in the water, characterized by a tow cable according to one of claims 1 to 8.

10. Watercraft (121) for towing a towed antenna (129) in the water, characterized in that the vessel has a tow cable according to one of claims 1 to 8 and / or a towed antenna according to claim 9.