This paper focuses on the development of the world's first high-voltage (HV) 45kV, wet-mate connector system1 qualified in accordance with the Subsea Electrical Power Standardization (SEPS) SP-1001 Penetrators and Connectors cross-operator standard. The connector is rated for water depths up to 3,000 meters and is a key enabler of numerous offshore applications, including subsea electrical power grids; independently retrievable, high-power step-down transformers for long step-out subsea gas compression; cost-effective installation of deepwater pipelines with direct electrical heating (DEH); and simplified repair of deepwater high-voltage umbilical power cores (among others). The high voltage and current rating of the connector provides the opportunity for commonality between the primary and secondary of a subsea transformer. This reduces the cost of mating tools, protective caps and test equipment, thus improving the economics of utilizing wet-mate connectors, which can often be cost-prohibitive. The paper discusses the growing need for a clear industry standard that covers the development and qualification of HV wet-mate electrical connectors. It also explores the inherent challenges of subsea electrical connectors, including long-term reliability, subsea module integration activities, and long-term effects of sea-water immersion on insulating materials. These were identified through a policy of continuous stakeholder engagement and a thorough review of 40 years of low- and medium-voltage connector design. To illustrate the benefits that HV wet-mate connectors can provide, multiple use cases are discussed, including long step-out subsea compression; deepwater pipeline DEH; and HV umbilical repair.
The growth of Hull as a British port at the time of William Wilberforce (1759–1833) saw the construction of docks and dock bridges similar to those in London, Plymouth and Liverpool. These structures now form an essential part of Britain's heritage and are rightly protected under listed buildings and conservation regulations. However, they remain at risk, especially if left unused. For several years, Hull City Council has been developing a conservation policy for its nine listed bridges and a comprehensive historical audit was thus required. This paper looks back into the history of Hull Docks and the development of cast-iron swing bridges between 1800 and 1850. The paper describes the design of Hull's cast-iron Wellington Street Swing Bridge as part of a scheme for restoration of the bridge to working order. When the bridge was originally built, it would have been required to carry horse-drawn traffic that would probably have weighed no more than 5 t in total and carried commodities at walking pace, thus minimising the impact factor. Its new role, to stimulate community living and regeneration, is to offer pedestrian and cycle use with occasional use by vehicles weighing up to 7·5 t. The original bridge design may have been based on a three-pinned arch, although this is just speculation. The recent design by consulting engineer Pell Frischmann considered the bridge's articulation; this is described together with other parameters that influenced analysis of the cast-iron structure.
Wet mate electrical connectors are a key technology for the deepwater industry, and can be a significant proportion of the cost of a subsea processing project. To operate sustainably in a low value oil market, manufacturers of subsea electrical connectors must change from their current project driven, custom product approach. Cornerstones of the new approach to the current market must be standardisation and modularization. This paper will focus on the challenges posed in designing and qualifying a connector system to meet a cross-industry specification, e.g. SEPS SP-1001 (soon to be an IEEE/IEC specification). It will focus on the difficulties in finding a common interpretation of a specification, designing in complete compliance with a cross-industry specification, and include detail of the planning and execution of on-going qualification programs, which are being run in accordance with cross-industry controls (fibre-optic and electrical) and power specifications. We will examine the different ways in which a connector specification can be interpreted and how the interpretation drives the connector design, test arrangement design, and cost. This interpretation is particularly important when examining the cost of a qualification program and associated equipment, with costs for specialist qualification equipment contributing significantly to the cost of new product development. Modularization is also a key enabler for cost reduction, allowing the same connector family to be used for multiple applications with only configuration, rather than project or application specific redesign. We will focus on the difficulties found when trying to identify a number of industry requirements which can be combined into a specific product, for example, subsea power distribution, long-step out, subsea compression, and direct electrical heating. The focus on this paper will be about presenting real-world experience of design and qualification of connectors based on three case studies, for subsea power distribution, long step out electrical controls, and long step out fibre controls.
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