A study of gimbals bending angle of the Branching Unit when it passes through the sheave during lay and recovery
The submerged Branching Unit (BU) connects the optical submarine trunk cable and the branched two optical submarine cables by the gimbals joints attached between BU and each cable coupling (CPL). This paper shows the geometrical condition to pass the BU through the bow sheave of the cable ship withi...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | Japanese |
| Published: |
The Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers
2016-03-01
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| Series: | Nihon Kikai Gakkai ronbunshu |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/transjsme/82/836/82_15-00516/_pdf/-char/en |
| Summary: | The submerged Branching Unit (BU) connects the optical submarine trunk cable and the branched two optical submarine cables by the gimbals joints attached between BU and each cable coupling (CPL). This paper shows the geometrical condition to pass the BU through the bow sheave of the cable ship within the limited bending angle of the gimbals joint. The bending angles of the gimbals joint of the branched two cables are derived by solving the geometrical condition numerically and tell us that the selected size of the bottom width of the sheave will have the suitable size of the CPL boots diameter to keep the bending angle within the limited angle. We accordingly select the size of the bottom width of the sheave and the suitable size of the CPL boots diameter. The tensile test result of the bending angle of the gimbals joint of the BU with the suitable size of the boots diameter installed on the test facility sheave being modified to the selected size of the bottom width demonstrates the validity well of the solution of the geometrical condition. The BU was successfully laid to and recovered from more than 6,000 m deep in the Pacific Ocean with the modified bow sheave and the suitable CPL boots. |
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| ISSN: | 2187-9761 |